ChatterBank1 min ago
Where does the phrase spitting image come from
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what is the origin of spitting image
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The spitten picter - meaning a strong likeness - was recorded in Cumbrian dialect in the 1870s and the earliest recorded use of 'the spitting image' dates back only to the early 20th century.
Given that picture (picter) and image are effectively synonyms and that two recognised language experts such as Quinion and Horn lean away from any spirit connection, I'd be tempted to lean away from it, too.
On a quick glance, the OED does not seem to have any record of 'spirit and image' as a phrase. However, given that there is some doubt, each to his own!
Given that picture (picter) and image are effectively synonyms and that two recognised language experts such as Quinion and Horn lean away from any spirit connection, I'd be tempted to lean away from it, too.
On a quick glance, the OED does not seem to have any record of 'spirit and image' as a phrase. However, given that there is some doubt, each to his own!
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