shipshape

From ship +‎ shapen (“shaped; wrought with a definite shape”), later shortened to shape.^[1] The word is of nautical origin, based on the obligation of a sailor to keep his or her quarters arranged neatly and securely due to the limited space typically allotted to service members aboard ship, and against turbulence at sea.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈʃɪpʃeɪp/

• Audio (Received Pronunciation):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈʃɪpˌʃeɪp/
• Hyphenation: ship‧shape

shipshape (comparative more shipshape, superlative most shipshape)

1. (originally nautical) Meticulously neat and tidy.

   Synonyms: shipshape and Bristol fashion, tight; see also Thesaurus:orderly

   Antonyms: see Thesaurus:disorderly

   • [1801, J. J. Moore, “SHIP-shape”, in The British Mariner’s Vocabulary, […], London: […] T. Hurst [et al.], →OCLC:

     SHIP-shape, in a seaman-like manner; as "That mast is not rigged ship-shape;" "Put her about ship-shape," &c.]

   • 1823, [James Fenimore Cooper], chapter V, in The Pioneers, or The Sources of the Susquehanna; […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: Charles Wiley;  […], →OCLC, page 83:

     [I]t would have been more ship-shape to lower the bight of a rope, or a running bow-line, below me, than to seize an old sea-man by his head-lanyard; [...]

   • 1827, [Walter Scott], chapter VII, in Chronicles of the Canongate; […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] [Ballantyne and Co.] for Cadell and Co.; London: Simpkin and Marshall, →OCLC, page 111:

     When we set out on the jolly voyage of life, what a brave fleet there is around us, as stretching our fresh canvas to the breeze, all "shipshape and Bristol fashion," pennons flying, music playing, cheering each other as we pass, we are rather amused than alarmed when some awkward comrade goes right ashore for want of pilotage!

   • 1835 July, Jack Block, “The Cruise of the Mohawk”, in The American Monthly Magazine, volume V, number V, New York, N.Y.: D. K. Minor, and T. & C. Wood, →OCLC, page 421:

     [G]lad to see you, gentlemen—steerage not quite shipshape at present—overhauling ship, you see; but when we once get under way, get things shipshape, you know.

   • 1864, Alfred Tennyson, “Enoch Arden”, in Enoch Arden, &c., London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 13:

     Annie, my girl, cheer up, be comforted, / Look to the babes, and till I come again, / Keep everything shipshape, for I must go.

   • 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Powder and Arms”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part II (The Sea Cook), page 70:

     Well, Captain Smollett, what have you to say? All well, I hope; all shipshape and seaworthy?

   • 1937 May 11, John Lee Mahin, Marc Connelly, Dale Van Every, 1:44:00 from the start, in Captains Courageous, [Hollywood, Calif.]: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, →OCLC:

     ― When are you going out fishing again? / ― Oh, in about six weeks, when we're shipshape aloft.

   • 1950 July, “Night Flight”, in Jim Douglas, editor, Boeing Magazine, volume XX, number 7, Seattle, Wash.: Public Relations Division, Boeing Airplane Company, →OCLC, page 14, column 3:

     Having made sure everything is shipshape, the colonel goes back to the controls and starts to bring the plane down.

   • 1989 August 17, Tom Clancy, Clear and Present Danger, premium tie-in edition, New York, N.Y.: Berkley Books, published November 2018, →ISBN, page 141:

     [Y]ou got the downhaul to keep him in place real snug like. Otherwise it just ain't shipshape. Hell, everybody knows that.

   • 2005 July 1, Kelly Link, “Stone Animals”, in Magic for Beginners: Stories, trade paperback edition, New York, N.Y.: Random House, published 2014, →ISBN, page 114:

     Dr. Marks said I'm shipshape. Those were his exact words. Or maybe he said tip-top. It was something alliterative.

• ship-shape (archaic)

• shipshape and Bristol fashion

shipshape (comparative more shipshape, superlative most shipshape)

1. (originally nautical) Neatly and tidily to a meticulous extent.

   Synonym: handsomely

   • 1840, [James Fenimore Cooper], chapter XV, in The Pathfinder: Or, The Inland Sea. […], volume I, Philadelphia, Pa.: Lea and Blanchard, →OCLC, page 233:

     No—sir—if I sink, I sink; but d——e, I'll go down ship-shape and with dignity.

   • 1860 September, “The Observations of Mace Sloper, Esq.: Second Series. The Cottage on the North River.”, in Lewis Gaylord Clark, editor, The Knickerbocker, or New-York Monthly Magazine, volume LVI, number 3, New York, N.Y.: John A. Gray, […], →OCLC, pages 293–294:

     I have said a good deal about Bertha, because I like her frank, easy way, her desire to please, and her pleasant natural manner of doing it. I do n't think novel-writers and picture-makers say enough about such girls. [...] Those are the girls, Ma'am, whom I want to see described by people who know how to do this sort of thing up shipshape.

   • 1897, Joseph Conrad, chapter II, in The Children of the Sea: A Tale of the Forecastle, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, →OCLC, page 48:

     Some of you have n't sense enough to put a blanket ship-shape over a sick man. There! Leave it alone! I can die anyhow!

• ship-shape (archaic)

• hashpipes