IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishspitting image
Meaning: An exact likeness.
Example: “That little boy is the spitting image of his grandfather.”
Equivalents in other languages
Spanish: viva estampa Literally: Living picture
Origin: Earlier forms were "the very spit of" (17th–18th century), as if one person had been spat out of another's mouth. "Spit and image" appears in the 19th century and was soon heard as "spitting image." Some suggest a link to "spit and image" meaning "spirit and image," but that is uncertain.
More English idioms
- start from scratch To begin again from nothing.
- step on it To hurry.
- stew in one's own juices To suffer the consequences of one's own actions.
- stick to one's guns To be firm in one's resolve or not to alter one's position.
- straight and narrow The path of correct social or ethical behavior that society approves of.
- strange bedfellows People or things that one does not normally expect to find together.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- 毒を食らわば皿まで (Doku wo kurawaba sara made) Once you have committed to something bad, you may as well go all the way.
- 類は友を呼ぶ (Rui wa tomo o yobu) People of the same kind are drawn to each other.
- 弱い犬ほどよく吠える (Yowai inu hodo yoku hoeru) People who make the most noise are often the least able to back it up.
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