I was wondering if there exists a British expression to denote a flawless/good/spotless person. I'm thinking of using it in a context similar to 'he's no saint', which if I'm not wrong, is American. I would like to be able to use it with the following sentence construction: "He's a far cry from __ himself." Would it be correct to use 'spick and span' in this instance? Are there any other (more appropriate) alternatives?
Thanks very much.
Best Answer
Spick and span would be inappropriate to use in this instance as it usually refers to something being spotless; without a fleck of dust; usually a room or a home where everything is very clean, and almost shiny in appearance. I doubt many would use this expression to describe a person's character.
If you're looking for a British type of expression (but Americans will be familiar with these terms too) you could try these:
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To be "perfect" is generally understood to mean someone whose character is without flaw, I wouldn't classify the adjective as being British, although it fits in quite nicely with your phrase.