Bristol fashion
Americanadjective
adverb
-
nautical clean and neat, with newly painted and scrubbed surfaces, brass polished, etc
-
in good order; efficiently arranged
Etymology
Origin of Bristol fashion
1830–40; after Bristol, England
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.
“Well, looks like everything’s mostly shipshape and Bristol fashion, luvvy,” said Miss Forcible.
From "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman
I've never put to sea yet, young sirs, but what I've been entered shipshape and Bristol fashion, and I'm not going to start wrong at this time o' life.
From The Pirate Shark by Arting, Fred J.
"Then hasten back, for I'll warrant we've a fine job to make all shipshape and Bristol fashion."
From The Quest of the 'Golden Hope' A Seventeenth Century Story of Adventure by Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)
Cable gave certain orders, announced that he would send four men on board in the afternoon to bend the running tackle "ship-shape and Bristol fashion," and refused to remain on board the Olaf for luncheon.
From The Vultures by Merriman, Henry Seton
They said her decks were as white as snow—holystoned every morning, like a man-of-war's; everything on board "shipshape and Bristol fashion;" a fine crew, three mates, a sailmaker and carpenter, and all complete.
From Two Years Before the Mast by Dana, Richard Henry
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.
