SPICK AND SPAN


Meaning of SPICK AND SPAN in English

(also spic and span )

■ adjective neat, clean, and well looked after.

Origin

C16 (in the sense 'brand new'): from ~ new , emphatic extension of dialect span new , from ON spán-nýr , from spánn 'chip' + nýr 'new'; spick influenced by Du. spiksplinternieuw , lit. 'splinter new'.

Concise Oxford English vocab.      Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка.