Lickety-split


[lik-i-tee-split] /ˈlɪk ɪ tiˈsplɪt/

adverb, Informal.
1.
at great speed; rapidly:
to travel lickety-split.
/ˈlɪkɪtɪˈsplɪt/
adverb
1.
(US & Canadian, informal) very quickly; speedily
adj.

1852, American English (earlier lickety-cut, lickety-click, and simply licketie, 1817), from lick (n.1) in dialectal sense “very fast sprint in a race” (1809) on the notion of a “lick” as a fast thing (cf. blink).

adverb

Very fast: Felt he just had to get a lawyer lickity-split

[1859+; fr lick, ”speed, a spurt of speed,” found by 1809; earlier forms lickety-cut, lickety-click, lickety liner, and lickety switch are found in the 1830s and 1840s]

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