Spick and Span

Welcome to English in a minute.

With some idioms, it is easy to guess their meaning.

With this one, not so much.

Renting a basement apartment was a bad idea.

It flooded again.

And now it’s a huge mess.

I know what you need, your favorite friend and her exceptional cleaning skills!

Are you talking about yourself?

I sure am!

I’ll have your place spick and span in no time!

Alright.

“Spick and span” means extremely clean and neat.

People have been using different versions of this phrase for 400 years.

Experts say, it may have first been used to describe a newly built boat.

And that’s English in a minute.