Spit and image
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
An exact likeness or perfect match, so close it's uncanny.
Origin
From 17th-century England, short for 'spit and image'; 'spit' as essence, tied to a 1602 text on a son's mirror face. By 1825, 'spitting image' hit print, possibly from saliva's old link to life-force. Folk etymology twisted it, and 19th-century rural talk; like an 1880s tale, grew it into a vivid idiom of doppelgängers.
Usage Examples
- He's the spit and image of his dad; same nose!
- That doll's the spit and image of her-creepy!
- She's the spit and image of her old photos.
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