spitting image en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈspɪtɪŋ ˈɪmɪdʒ/ (UK)
Etymology
An alteration of the 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 from the word spirit, but evidence for this is lacking. Another theory is that the idiom is Biblical, after an image of God spitting into dry earth to make the clay out of which Adam would be formed.
Meanings
-
(colloquial, idiomatic) The exact likeness (of someone); a speaking or living image.
I swear my grandson is the spitting image of my Jeffrey when he was a baby.
2001 January 27, Tom Armstrong, Marvin (comic):You're the spitting image of my brother.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| spitting images | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Hypernyms
Translations (38)
nl twee druppels water (the exact likeness of someone) · pt cuspido e escarrado (the exact likeness of someone) · gd cho coltach ri (the exact likeness of someone) · uk викапаний (the exact likeness of someone) · cmn 活像 (the exact likeness of someone) · sh pljunuti (the exact likeness of someone) · cmn 一模一样 (the exact likeness of someone) · ca retrat (the exact likeness of someone) · pl wykapany (the exact likeness of someone) · sv på pricken lik (the exact likeness of someone) · cs být podobný jako vejce vejci (the exact likeness of someone) · fi aivan samannäköinen kuin (the exact likeness of someone) · es el vivo retrato (the exact likeness of someone) · sl izrezana podoba (the exact likeness of someone) · sh preslikan (the exact likeness of someone) · cs jako by z oka vypadl (the exact likeness of someone) · is lifandi eftirmynd (the exact likeness of someone) · hu kiköpött mása (the exact likeness of someone) · it tale e quale (the exact likeness of someone) · es la viva imagen (the exact likeness of someone) · id seperti pinang dibelah dua (the exact likeness of someone) · ja クリソツ (the exact likeness of someone) · ru вы́литый портре́т (the exact likeness of someone) · fr portrait craché (the exact likeness of someone) · ga ar athphrátaí (the exact likeness of someone) · fi ilmetty (the exact likeness of someone) · es la viva estampa (the exact likeness of someone) · es clavadito (the exact likeness of someone) · ca estampa (the exact likeness of someone) · ru то́чная ко́пия (the exact likeness of someone) · ru вы́литый (the exact likeness of someone) · ja そっくり (the exact likeness of someone) · gl cuspido (the exact likeness of someone) · it spaccato (the exact likeness of someone) · sv upp i dagen (the exact likeness of someone) · de Ebenbild (the exact likeness of someone) · pl sobowtór (the exact likeness of someone) · pl podobny jak dwie krople wody (the exact likeness of someone)