spic

American  

[spik] / spɪk /

Or spik,

noun

Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive.

1. a contemptuous term used to refer to a Spanish American person.

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spic British  

/ spɪk /

noun

1. slang a derogatory word for a person from a Spanish-speaking country in South or Central America or a Spanish-speaking community in the US

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Etymology

Origin of spic

First recorded in 1910–15; earlier also spig, short for spiggoty, probably derived from an accented pronunciation of (No) speak the (English)

Example Sentences

We do a spring cleaning so when the students come back they literally have a school that has been spic ‘n’ spanned.

From New York Times • Jan. 16, 2020

“This place will be spic and span in a couple of hours.”

From Washington Times • Oct. 24, 2019

In the meantime, organizers have done a good job of making the project-in-progress look spic and span for the next two weeks.

From Seattle Times • May 26, 2019

At The Driftwood and Cedar, where tenants said they’ve long dealt with pest and mold problems, Rawson said the owners have invested $30,000 in each unit to make them spic and span.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 29, 2018

Believing that routine was the best defense against depression, Miss Peregrine tried to keep everyone interested in her daily lessons, in preparing the daily meals, and in keeping the house spic and span.

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs