spick-and-span (adj.)
also spic-and-span, "very neat, clean, and trim," 1660s, from spick-and-span-new "new and fresh" (1570s), literally "new as a recently made spike and wood-chip."
It seems to be an elaboration, with spick "nail" (see spike (n.1)), of older span-new "very new," in reference to something fresh from the workman's hands, just cut or made (c. 1300), from Old Norse span-nyr, from spann "chip" (see spoon (n.)), perhaps as something likely to be new-made, + nyr "new." Or the fuller formation might be in imitation of Dutch spiksplinter nieuw "spike-splinter new."
From the expression, span- came to be taken vulgarly in 19c. New England as an adverb meaning "wholly, entirely," hence span-clean (compare Louisa May Alcott's spandy clean faces and hands).
A compound of four independent elements, like this, is very rare in E. ; the lit. meaning of the nouns spick and span is not now recognized, but the words spick and span are taken together adverbially, qualifying new, with which they form a compound. By omission of new, the phrase spick-and-span is sometimes used with an attributive force. [Century Dictionary, 1891]
Trends of spick-and-span
updated on May 01, 2023
Dictionary entries near spick-and-span
spicate
spice
spice-box
spice-cake
spicer
spick-and-span
spicule
spicy
spider
spiderling
spiderman
