Lick into shape

More often than not, this expression is misused to mean to whip or knock into shape, which is not the original meaning at all. Lick into shape derives from the concept of animals licking their young when they are born, to clean them up and make them more presentable. The concept is extremely ancient and is first encountered in the works of Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) who wrote, “Bears when first born are shapeless masses of white flesh a little larger than mice, their claws alone being prominent. The mother then licks them gradually into proper shape.” This, of course, is the literal meaning and the figurative use of the expression meaning to mould someone or something into better or more efficient condition dates from the mid-17th century. At about the same time, mid-to-late 17th century, confusion began to arise with expressions like ‘whip into shape’, ‘knock into shape’, ‘beat into shape’, which, strictly speaking, are not synonyms because they confuse the original lick into shape with physically beating or whipping into shape, which is a different concept altogether. See Lick/Licking.