Etymology
Meaning
Origin
The phrase "spick and span" has been used since the 16th century. It originally referred to something that was completely new or freshly made, as in "a spick and span ship." Over time, the phrase came to be used more generally to refer to something that is very clean or tidy.
One possible explanation for the origin of the phrase is that it refers to the process of caulking a ship's deck. Caulking is a process of sealing the gaps between the planks of a ship's deck with a tar-based material. When a ship is freshly caulked, its deck is spick and span, meaning that it is completely sealed and waterproof.
Another possible explanation for the origin of the phrase is that it refers to the process of stretching a fabric on a loom. When a fabric is stretched on a loom, it is pulled tight and even, creating a spick and span surface.
Etymology The word spike originates from the Old English word spica meaning a sharp
Etymology The word spike originates from the Old English word spica meaning a sharp
Etymology The word spoon has its origins in the Old English word spōn which meant
Etymology The word spheno originates from Greek σφήν sphen wedge Mea
Etymology The word attention comes from the Latin word attendere which means to dir
Etymology The word empanada comes from the Spanish verb empanar which means to wrap
Etymology The word pier has its roots in several languages Old English pere mean
Etymology Late Latin spasmus from Greek spasmos from spaein to draw tight pull twi
Etymology From Latin spasticus pertaining to a kind of convulsion from Greek spastik
Etymology The English word temple is derived from the Latin word templum which in t
Etymology Middle English sprote Old English sprēot Proto Germanic sprutus Proto Ind
Etymology The word clean comes from the Middle English word clene which is derived f
Etymology The word span derives from the Old English word spann meaning a measureme
