licked into shape
Made finally presentable
To lick something into shape is to bring it from a rough or disorganized state to proper form through effort and discipline: The new manager licked the department into shape within six months.
The phrase comes from an old belief that bear cubs are born formless and must be literally licked into shape by their mothers.
It implies hands-on work to fix something that's functional but messy or substandard.
- bear cubsJuvenile ursine animals
- moldedShaped by a cast
- sculptedShaped into art
- polishedSmooth, refined, accomplished
- finishing touchesLast refinements before completion
carved · perfected · crafted · refined · improvement · honed · worked on · work in progress · trial and error · animal symbolism · forged · hammered out · transformation · myths · raw material · adjusted · progress · chiseled
licked into shaperuined
Damaged beyond recovery
wrecked · destroyed · run into the ground · gone to pot · fallen apart
licked into shapeabandoned
Left behind completely
neglected · cast aside · thrown to the wolves · let slide · untrained
lick, licked, licking, licks, licker, into, shape, shaped, shapes