lickety-split

English

Etymology

First attested during the 19th century, in the US, as a fanciful alteration of the noun lick “a very fast sprint”, and the verb split. The forms lickety-cut and licketie are similarly attested.

Pronunciation
  • Audio (US)(file)

Adverb

lickety-split (not comparable)

  1. Quickly; as fast as possible; in short order.
    At the sound of the starting gun, they were off and running lickety-split.
    • For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:lickety.

References
  • “lickety-split” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2019.
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