Spit and Image, Spitting Image, or Splitting Image | Candace Osmond | Usage As a word nerd and full-time writer, I'm always scanning things for interesting phrases, idioms, and expressions I can use in my books and content. idiom/cliché: "the spit and image of his father" (1859) — a particularly effective wording of the metonymy solidifies into a widely re-used phrase. corruption: "the spitten image" (1878) — the original analysis of the phrase is lost.
Is It Spitting Image or Splitting Image? Meaning & Origin (Quick Facts)
What of splitting image? Is there any chance that this version, in which a thing is split in two, thus providing an exact likeness, is the origin of the expression? It seems quite unlikely. This common variant (some might unkindly refer to it as a mistake), does not crop up until well into the 20th century. The correct spelling is "spitting image," and it is used to refer to someone being an identical copy of someone else. It is most commonly used to showcase the familial connection between mother and daughter or father and son, though it can apply to any identical people. Grammar Splitting Image or Spitting Image? Don't Be Fooled! Patrick 5.31K views posted on Oct. 20, 2015 at 10:00 am 123RF When someone is said to look like someone else, should they be referred to as "the splitting image" or "the spitting image?" A recent slideshow posted on Time features actors who have portrayed famous people in biopics. : someone or something that looks very much like someone or something else Father then and son later are spitting images of each other. Norris McDonald usually singular Naimah was brown-skinned, slender, and neighbors said she was the spitting image of her mother. Debbie Chocolate. a lovely.
Spitting vs. Splitting What's the difference? Ask Difference
"Spitting image" and "spit and image" are variants of an idiom used to refer to someone who looks very much like another person: Many would agree that Natalie Portman is the spitting image of Keira Knightley. That baby is the spit and image of his dad. The Origin of the Phrase As Merriam-Webster reports, the leading theory is that the phrase started out as spit and image — spit having been used to mean "exact likeness" since at least the early 19th century. idiom ( also be the spit (and image) of someone) Add to word list to look extremely similar to someone: Josie is the spitting image of her granny at the same age. The old man was the ( dead) spit of Winston Churchill. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases Describing people with the same qualities a tough/tricky, etc. customer idiom The exact likeness. What's the origin of the phrase 'Spitting image'? One of the very first questions that was asked at the Phrasefinder bulletin board was about 'spitting image'.
World Premiere of Spitting Image Saves the World to open in Birmingham
A: As you pointed out, it does seem to make more sense, so it's no surprise that it was corrupted fairly early on - and "splitting image" started appearing from the 1930s - relating to two halves of a tree and the wood being split in two and mirroring each other. Q: But it's wrong. Spitting image or spit and image (sometimes reanalyzed as splitting image) stems from the metaphor of spitting out an exact likeness of oneself.
The term "spitting image" is a mispronunciation of "splitting image." This term describes the practice of creating a mirror image of wood grain by splitting it. It is a well-established decorative effect used by cabinet and musical-instrument makers. Competing Theory English [edit] Etymology [edit]. Alteration of earlier spitten image (see spitten).A popular folk etymology explains this phrase as deriving from the idea of a father spitting out a child whole from his mouth, as if giving birth. But spitten image actually developed from spit and image, where spit in this context means "likeness". Terban further suggests a derivation of this sense of spit.
Spitting Image Using The Site YouTube
The spitting image is a colloquial expression, and the very image is a more "high-hat" or literary expression. They are interchangeable in terms of meaning, but you might prefer one or the other in a particular situation due to considerations of style. Citing a street conversation, you might choose "the spitting image", writing a romantic poem. Answered. Like if you look exactly like a parent, sibling, etc. I've heard "spitting image", but also "split image" and sometimes even "splitting image". I always thought it was "spitting image" because spit is, like, genetics and stuff. Friend says "split image", which when you think of it also makes sense.
