noun
Etymology: so called from the practice of polishing objects such as shoes by spitting on them and then rubbing them with a cloth
1. : the action of or materials for a thorough cleaning, polishing, and refurbishing
presented himself for a spit and polish — Jessie Wall
habituated to courtly rhetoric, which is emotion after spit and polish have been applied to it — Francis Hackett
2. : extreme attention to cleanliness, orderliness, smartness of appearance, and ceremonial especially at the expense of operational efficiency
reviews, parades, athletics, spit and polish, long-standing traditions, and automatic discipline are played up — R.A.Preston