Green’s Dictionary of Slang

identity, similarity, esp. in familial resemblance; thus in phrs. the spit of, the dead spit of, the very spit of.

[1788		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd edn) n.p.: He is as like his father as if he was spit out of his mouth; said of a child much resembling his father].
1829		Vidocq Memoirs (trans. W. McGinn) III 107: Her last is my godchild, — the very image of Hotgot, the very spit of him.
1837		‘The Butcher’s Tail and The Lamb’s Stones’ in Icky-Wickey Songster 7: She presented her spouse with a nice little son, / The spit of the butcher, so every one owns.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor II 488/2: The very spit of the one I had for years; it’s a real portrait, sir.
1866		J. Greenwood Little Ragamuffin 32: She’s just the spit of the poor dear that’s gone.
1900		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘You Can’t Go By Looks’ Sporting Times 31 Mar. 1/4: ’E’s really the absolute spit / Of Brassy, who rented their little back attic / When poor Bill was ’ard up.
1907		J.M. Synge Playboy of the Western World Act II: A hideous, fearful villain, and the spit of you.
1921		‘Dornford Yates’ Berry and Co 27: They’re as like as two pins [...] She’s the spit of ours.
1931		W. Noble Burns One-Way Ride 78: Sure and he’s the spit and image of his dad.
1942		E. Ferber ‘Grandma Isn’t Playing’ in One Basket (1947) 546: She’s the spit of her grammaw.
1952		B. MacMahon Children of the Rainbow 14: A fellow the spit of you rode the wrong course in a lightweight at Ballyroe.
1960		H. Pinter Caretaker Act II: Dead spit of you he was. Bit bigger round the nose but there was nothing in it.
1970		C. Brown Down All the Days 95: You’re the spit of your oul Da, never leaving me for one sacred second.
1986		P. O’Farrell Tell me, Sean O’Farrell 92: An old farmer remarked to James that his bride was ‘the spit’ of his own daughter.
1997		(con. 1950s) D. Farson Never a Normal Man 218: You’re the dead spit of that Daniel Farson.
1997		D.H. Edwards The World Don’t Owe Me Nothing 34: He was half Mexican. His mother was a black woman but he took every spit after his daddy.
2000		W. Shaw Westsiders 281: A beautiful young woman [...] who looks the spit of a young Angela Davis.