spitting image
The exact likeness; a speaking or living imageThe exact likeness (of someone); a speaking or living image.
Meaning
1 senses(colloquial, idiomatic)The exact likeness (of someone); a speaking or living image.
You're the spitting image of my brother.
Ebenbild
вы́литыйvýlityj, вы́литый портре́тvýlityj portrét, то́чная ко́пияtóčnaja kópija
викапанийvykapanyj
- a perfect likeness or counterpart
Translations
8 languagesOrigin
An alteration of the earlier spitten image (see spitten). A popular folk etymology explainAn 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.
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Forms
plural: spitting images| Singular | spitting image |
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| Plural | spitting images |
regular