spit-shine
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of spit-shine
First recorded in 1955–60
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.
See Examples For:
It’s much simpler, however, to spit-shine escapist Social Progress tales drawn from a mythologized version of history.
From Salon ● Dec. 30, 2018
Siatta accepts this reputation easily and said he chafed at the spit-shine requirements of Marine Corps base life.
From New York Times ● Dec. 28, 2016
Whether or not Kelly should be so deferent doesn't much matter, given the spit-shine of the finished product.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 12, 2013
No matter how much he pleads, the tabloids will never leave Woods alone, nor will his hagiographers continue to spit-shine his halo.
From Slate ● Feb. 19, 2010
A motley mix of military equipment—U.S.-built M60 tanks, Soviet-supplied personnel carriers, field guns made in South Korea—gleamed in the sun, ready to roll, polished to spit-shine perfection.
From Time Magazine Archive
The whole world feels sanded-down and spit-shined within an inch of its life, lacking any grime or grit that might make this feel authentic, and that extends to the storytelling as well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2022
To be clear, winning a popularity contest in a player-driven league in a landscape in which most successful athletes also have spit-shined personal brands is not a bad thing.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 7, 2021
Or you could run into Murray Hill, the drag king and comedian, resplendent in a maroon crushed-velvet suit, with a bow tie and spit-shined shoes.
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 1, 2018
Regardless, it’s a truly exceptional occasion best enjoyed in the company of stellar dance acts; Mr. Hawthorne, a spit-shined soul-popper, fits the bill.
From New York Times ● Mar. 5, 2015
Black, spit-shined police shoes with hard rubber soles cracked down on every inch of hardwood floor.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
“And, without giving away any of our surprises, we are definitely spit-shining and tailoring it for its Broadway debut.”
From New York Times ● Oct. 13, 2016
On the other hand, downtime in the local semiconductor and computer industries leaves Young's salesmen spit-shining fenders.
From Time Magazine Archive
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.
