adj. (colloquial).—Quite fresh; brand new: as a ‘spike and chip’ from the workman’s hands. Also SPICK-AND-SPAN; SPICK-SPAN NEW; SPAN-NEW; and SPAN-FIRE NEW. Also SPICK-AND-SPAN (SPAN, or SPANDY), adv. = quite; wholly.
1369. CHAUCER, Troilus and Creseide, iii. 1665. This tale ay was SPAN-NEWE to beginne.
1615. T. TOMKIS, Albumazar, ii. 2 [DODSLEY, Old Plays (REED), vii. 161].
| Of a stark clown | |
| I shall appear SPECK AND SPAN gentleman. |
1614. JONSON, Bartholomew Fair, iii. 5. Sir, this is a spell against them, SPICK AND SPAN NEW.
1619. FLETCHER, The False One, iii. 2.
| Am I not totally a SPAN-NEW gallant, | |
| Fit for the choicest eyes? |
1628. FORD, The Lover’s Melancholy, ii. 1. ’Tis a fashion of the newest edition, SPICK AND SPAN NEW, without example.
c. 1630. HOWELL, Familiar Letters, I. iv. 2. Blackfriars will entertain you with a Play SPICK AND SPAN NEW, and the Cockpit with another.
1663. BUTLER, Hudibras, I. iii. 398.
| Then while the Honour thou hast got | |
| Is SPICK AND SPAN NEW, piping hot. |
1718. BUCKINGHAM, The Rehearsal. Doct. Why madam, an intire SPICK AND SPAN NEW piece of doctrine of my own invention.
d. 1779. GARRICK The Cozeners, Prologue [W. COOKE, Memoirs of S. Foote, I. 107].
| From our poetic storehouse, we produce | |
| A couple, SPICK AND SPAN for present use. |
1824. SCOTT, Redgauntlet, xi. In the same doings to make a SPICK-AND-SPAN new world.
1857. TENNYSON, The Northern Cobbler, xix. Look at the cloäths on ’er back, thebbe ammost SPICK-SPAN-NEW.
1877. TROLLOPE, South Africa, II. vi. The Dutch Boer will not endure over him … a SPICK-AND-SPAN Dutch Africander from the Cape Colony.
1884. H. JAMES, A Little Tour in France, xxviii. Beside my hotel rose a big SPICK-AND-SPAN church.
1887. Referee, 27 Feb. The SPICK-AND-SPAN appearance presented by Marlow after their journey.
1888. L. M. ALCOTT, Hospital Sketches, 319. Thirty gentlemen with SPANDY clean faces and hands were partaking of refreshment.
