spandy

Neat, fine, very good.

Adjective

  1. Neat, fine, very good.
    • My silk stockings and two pairs of spandy gloves are my comfort. You are a dear, to lend me yours, Jo - 1869, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, page 126:
    • O, poor dandy, once so spandy, Golden dancer on the lea! Older growing, white hair flowing, Bald head dandy now is he. - 1894, Lizzie Tristram, Nameless Stories for Supplemental Reading and General Exercises, page 14:

Origin

Uncertain. Perhaps a variant of spander-new, or from spick-and-span, both attested from the 17th century, while spandy clean appears in 1838 (see quotations below). Both spander-new and spick-and-span come from earlier span-new, which is attested from c. 1300.

Adverb

  1. Entirely, nicely, very.
    • I have heard of a ghost that always came in a new coat, smartly buttoned up, and a spandy clean dickey. - 1838, Timo. Titterwell [Samuel Kettel], “Thoughts on seeing ghosts”, in Yankee Notions, page 115:
    • O, I forgot, the woman was wicked and she made her little girls sit in the parlor, all dressed up spandy clean, and she made Cindrilla sit in the coal-hod. - 1891, Sophie May, Little Prudy, page 111:
    • “It means always celebrating New Year with new things – every single Tilley person.” “Spandy new,” offered Jeffery, helpfully. “The newest ever.” - 1921 January 1, Annie Hamilton Donnell, “The Tilley Celebration”, in...