lickety-split
Americanadverb
adverb
Etymology
Origin of lickety-split
An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; lickety, a fanciful extension of lick “to move quickly” + split, “fraction,” as in split second
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A former child prodigy on the mandolin, Hull opened the evening flexing her Berklee-trained chops in a series of lickety-split bluegrass numbers that got early arrivers whistling with approval.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2025
Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace could have supplied us, lickety-split.
From Salon • Dec. 6, 2024
Not every dish is lickety-split fast, but Peters, who won a James Beard award for her 2016 book, “Eat in My Kitchen,” thoughtfully designates weekends for more complicated dishes.
From Seattle Times • May 11, 2021
Construction started barely three weeks ago, but the building is going up lickety-split.
From Washington Post • Jun. 27, 2020
Penelope’s words poured out lickety-split, for now that the big moment had arrived, she too was overcome with nerves.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
