spit and polish

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noun

great care in maintaining smart appearance and crisp efficiency: The commander was concerned more with spit and polish than with the company's morale.

Related formsspit-and-polish

[spit-n-pol-ish] /ˈspɪt nˈpɒl ɪʃ/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for spit and polish

cleanliness, discipline, neatness, punctilio, regimentation, tidiness, fastidiousness, meticulousness, orderliness

Examples from the Web for spit and polish

Historical Examples of spit and polish

He stood five-eight, and his red and gold Space Service uniform gleamed with spit-and-polish luster.
Unwise Child
Gordon Randall Garrett

British Dictionary definitions for spit and polish

spit and polish

noun

informal punctilious attention to neatness, discipline, etc, esp in the armed forces

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with spit and polish

spit and polish

Close attention to appearance and order, as in With a little spit and polish this house will sell very quickly. This expression originated in the military, presumably alluding to literally shining up something with the aid of a little saliva. There it also came to mean “too much attention to appearance, and not enough to more important concerns,” as in The commander is so concerned with spit and polish that he overlooks the crew's morale. [Late 1800s]