Clean, spotless; original sense "like new".
Etymology:
- From spick-and-span-new, from spick + Middle English span-new, from Old Norse span-nyr, from spann + nyr. Imitation of Dutch spiksplinter nieuw , for a freshly built ship. Observe that fresh woodchips are firm and light, but decay and darken rapidly, hence the origin of the term.
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Submitted on July 07, 2010
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Nearby phrases
Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to spick-and-span
squad and blatherspit-shined and polishedspeak of the devil and he shall appearstand up and be countedspeak of the devil and he appearsstop and gospare the rod and spoil the childsticks and stones may break my bones, b…Spick and Spansticks and stonesso on and so forthso-and-soSpare the Rod and Spoil the Childspit-and-polish
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"spick-and-span." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 9 May 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/spick-and-span_15036>.
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