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Joined: Jan 2009
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stranger
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stranger
Joined: Jan 2009
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I never heard that term before. but
"brand spanking new"
is very common.
Must be related?
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 293
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 293 |
I, too, have grown-up with the terms:
"Brand spanking new" and "Spick and Span" (commercialized in the US into a cleaning product; Spic-n-Span)
"I am certain there is too much certainty in the world" -Michael Crichton
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2
stranger
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stranger
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2 |
Span-new is new to me, but brand spanking new, I have heard all my life. There is an excellent description of the origin of the phrase at http://bit.ly/span-new.
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891 |
I've never heard of span-new either. It'd be interesting to get a world-view on this one; with our assortment of members, it is possible.
Brand new and brand-spaking new I have heard.
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Joined: Jan 2009
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stranger
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stranger
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1 |
Speaking of which, where does 'brand new' come from?
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
These are Anu's words about it in today's compendium:
"The term "brand new" refers to a brand (a burning piece of wood), implying straight from the fire, i.e. newly made in a furnace. Then there is "brand spanking new". The word spanking here is as an intensifier, used in the adverbial sense of the word, meaning extremely or remarkably. There appears not to be a connection to the spanking of a newly born baby to gets her breathing started.
The spelling spic-and-span and its association with cleanness is from the popular household cleaning product Spic and Span."
-Anu Garg
Last edited by BranShea; 01/11/2009 10:06 AM.
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3 |
These are Anu's words about it in today's compendium: "The term "brand new" refers to a brand (a burning piece of wood), implying straight from the fire, i.e. newly made in a furnace. Then there is "brand spanking new". The word spanking here is as an intensifier, used in the adverbial sense of the word, meaning extremely or remarkably. There appears not to be a connection to the spanking of a newly born baby to gets her breathing started. The spelling spic-and-span and its association with cleanness is from the popular household cleaning product Spic and Span." -Anu Garg And where does the "spic" in the spic and span, come from??
----please, draw me a sheep----
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
hmm.. from Spiculispongiae ?
Spic`u*li*spon"gi*[ae]\, n. pl. [NL.] (Zo["o]l.) A division of sponges including those which have independent siliceous spicules.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
formerly known as etaoin...
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3 |
hmm.. from Spiculispongiae ?
Spic`u*li*spon"gi*[ae]\, n. pl. [NL.] (Zo["o]l.) A division of sponges including those which have independent siliceous spicules.
Why not? Sponges were used to scrub floors with Spic-and-Span when it was concocted. In fact I still use one, tho' it is often on the end of a stick.
----please, draw me a sheep----
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3 |
Such an educated guess. I love your joy and humor.
----please, draw me a sheep----
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
In fact I still use one, tho' it is often on the end of a stick.
Stick and Span.
formerly known as etaoin...
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,971 Likes: 3 |
In fact I still use one, tho' it is often on the end of a stick.
Imagine stick-span-spic? spic-and-span-and stick? or spic,stick and span? None of those work, your's is better.
----please, draw me a sheep----
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