spick and span
Spick and span (adjective) means Completely clean, tidy and fresh-looking, with nothing out of place. Example: “The kitchen was spick and span by the time the guests arrived.”
How to use spick and span
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishReally clean and tidy.
Informal and slightly old-fashioned but still widely used and understood. Sometimes written spic and span, and Spic and Span is also a cleaning-product brand name.
It describes places and objects, not people. Say a smart or immaculately dressed man, not a spick and span one.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The kitchen was _____ by the time the guests arrived.
Etymology
From the older phrase spick and span new, itself an elaboration of span-new meaning brand new, from Old Norse spán-nýr, literally chip-new; spick is thought to be a nail or spike, giving the sense of something as fresh as a newly cut chip and a newly made nail.
Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
Is it spick and span or spic and span?
Spick and span is the standard spelling in British dictionaries and the historically correct one. Spic and span is a common American variant, reinforced by the cleaning brand of that name.
Does spick and span have a racist origin?
No. It predates the ethnic slur by centuries and comes from an unrelated phrase meaning brand new. The resemblance to the slur is coincidental, though it is one reason some writers prefer the fuller spick spelling or another word entirely.
What is the meaning of spick and span?
"spick and span" (adjective) means completely clean, tidy and fresh-looking, with nothing out of place.
What is another word for spick and span?
Other words for "spick and span" include immaculate, spotless, pristine, shipshape.