spit and polish

noun
1.
great care in maintaining smart appearance and crisp efficiency:
The commander was concerned more with spit and polish than with the company's morale.
Related forms
spit-and-polish
[spit-n-pol-ish] /ˈspɪt nˈpɒl ɪʃ/ (Show IPA), adjective
British Dictionary definitions for spit and polish

spit and polish

noun
1.
(informal) punctilious attention to neatness, discipline, etc, esp in the armed forces
Slang definitions & phrases for spit and polish

spit and polish

noun phrase

Order and precision; orderliness: spit and polish practiced by the troops


Idioms and Phrases with spit and polish

spit and polish

Close attention to appearance and order, as in With a little spit and polish this house will sell very quickly. This expression originated in the military, presumably alluding to literally shining up something with the aid of a little saliva. There it also came to mean “too much attention to appearance, and not enough to more important concerns,” as in The commander is so concerned with spit and polish that he overlooks the crew's morale. [ Late 1800s ]