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#32722 06/18/01 10:51 PM
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sasa11 Offline OP
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Does anyone know the origin of the phrase "lickety split?"


#32723 06/18/01 10:57 PM
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wwh Offline
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Dear sasa11: I am quite sure it is one of those expressive colloquialisms that spread rapidly and persist for quite a while, with no clue as to where, when, or who started it. Welcome to the board.


#32724 06/19/01 12:56 AM
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enthusiast
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Welcome, sasa11. I googled lickety split and found these two illustrative sites:

http://www.takeourword.com/Issue107.html

http://www.wordwizard.com/clubhouse/founddiscuss.asp?Num=785

Seems both lick and spit have or had speed connotations. Wonder if we could fit "drool" into that speed category?

Brandon


#32725 06/19/01 02:34 AM
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and the full-speed sense of lick(ety) was used in all sorts of fanciful combinations, most of haven't lasted: lickety-cut, -smash, -wallop, -click, -switch, etc.


#32726 06/19/01 02:34 AM
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and the full-speed sense of lick(ety) was used in all sorts of fanciful combinations, most of which haven't lasted: lickety-cut, -smash, -wallop, -click, -switch, etc.


#32727 06/19/01 11:01 AM
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a split-second is a very short second...or a time period that goes by incredibly quickly. Split seems to have the same meaning here as in lickety-split.

Hey everybody! I'm finally a newbie!!

#32728 06/19/01 11:34 AM
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> lickety-click...
reminds me of:

Clickety-clack, don't talk back!

> Hey everybody! I'm finally a newbie!!
Congrats Marine-Squirt, on your completion of 25 doses of capricious piffle and epithets alike!


#32729 06/19/01 05:43 PM
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Thanks for the lickety split answers everyone...



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