lickety split

Thân thiện

She finished her chores lickety split.

Definition

Adverb: With great speed; very quickly or immediately.

Usage

"Lickety-split" is an informal, playful adverb used to emphasize the high speed or immediacy of an action. It is often used in casual conversation and storytelling to add color and energy.

Examples

• The dog ran lickety-split across the yard when it heard the food bag.
• I need you to finish this report lickety-split.
• As soon as the bell rang, the children were out the door lickety-split.

Advanced Usage

• In Narrative Pacing: Often used to create a sense of sudden, swift action in a story.
  • The outlaw jumped on his horse and was gone, lickety-split, before the sheriff could draw his gun.

Variants and Related Words

• Lickety-cut (adverb): A less common variant with the same meaning.
• Split (verb): To divide or separate. The phrase "lickety-split" plays on the idea of something happening so fast it seems to "split" time.

Synonyms

• Quickly
• Rapidly
• Immediately
• At once
• Posthaste
• In a flash
• In a jiffy

Related Idioms

• In no time (at all): Very quickly.
  • She cleaned the whole house in no time.
• Before you know it: Happening so fast that one hardly notices.
  • Summer will be over before you know it.
• At the speed of light: Extremely fast.
  • The news spread at the speed of light.

Học thuật

Adverb

1. without delay
   • she tackled the job lickety-split

Từ đồng nghĩa

• lickety cut