spic-and-span

spic-and-span
spic-and-span 1660s, from spick-and-span-new (1570s), lit. "new as a recently made spike and chip of wood," from spick "nail" (see SPIKE (Cf. spike) (n.1)) + span-new "very new" (c.1300), from O.N. span-nyr, from spann "chip" + nyr "new." Imitation of Du. spiksplinter nieuw "spike-splinter new."

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Spic and Span — is a major U.S. brand of all purpose household cleanser, invented by housewives Elizabeth Bet MacDonald and Naomi Stenglein in Saginaw, Michigan in 1933. The women experimented until they came up with a formula that included equal parts of ground …   Wikipedia

  • spic and span — ↑spic and span * * * ˌspic and ˈspan idiom = ↑spick and span ↑spick Main entry: ↑spicidiom …   Useful english dictionary

  • spic-and-span — (spĭk ən spănʹ) adj. Variant of spick and span. * * * …   Universalium

  • spic-and-span — adjective 1. conspicuously new shiny brand new shoes a spick and span novelty • Syn: ↑brand new, ↑bran new, ↑spick and span • Similar to: ↑new …   Useful english dictionary

  • spic and span — very clean, very neat The house was spic and span when we returned from our holiday …   Idioms and examples

  • spic-and-span — adjective see spick and span …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • spic-and-span — (Roget s Thesaurus II) adjective See spick and span …   English dictionary for students

  • spick-and-span — adjective 1. conspicuously new shiny brand new shoes a spick and span novelty • Syn: ↑brand new, ↑bran new, ↑spic and span • Similar to: ↑new …   Useful english dictionary

  • spick and span — (also spic and span) adjective neat, clean, and well looked after. Origin C16 (in the sense brand new ): from spick and span new, emphatic extension of dialect span new, from ON spán nýr, from spánn chip + nýr new ; spick influenced by Du.… …   English new terms dictionary

  • spick and span — spic and span [ˌspık ən ˈspæn] adj [not before noun] informal a room, house etc that is spick and span is completely clean and tidy …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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