adjective

spick and span

spik uhn SPAN

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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.”

adjective

Completely clean, tidy and fresh-looking, with nothing out of place.

"The kitchen was spick and span by the time the guests arrived."

"He keeps that old van spick and span."

How to use spick and span

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishReally clean and tidy.

When to use it

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.

Memory tip

It describes places and objects, not people. Say a smart or immaculately dressed man, not a spick and span one.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

spotless → shipshape → immaculate →

Common pairings

keep it spick and span spick and span house all spick and span

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Test yourself on “spick and span” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

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.

Origin: English

Synonyms

View more →

immaculate spotless pristine shipshape

Antonyms

filthy grubby messy

Related words

new perfect clean excellent pure dirty tight raw

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.

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new perfect clean excellent pure dirty tight raw