presto changeoint.adj.n.adv.
/ˌprɛstəʊ ˈtʃeɪn(d)ʒəʊ/, U.S. /ˌprɛstoʊ ˈtʃeɪndʒoʊ/ Originally U.S.
A. int.
Announcing the climax of a conjuring trick or a sudden transformation; ‘hey presto!’.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > legerdemain, etc. > formula [interjection]
hey-passa1593
presto1598
hey or high jingo!1670
hiccius doccius1676
hey presto1732
presto changeo1905
1905 Chicago Tribune 4 June vi. 6/1 We took the cards, letter heads, circulars, and blanks..and presto, chango, we were The Department.
1920 Mod. Lang. Jrnl. 4 400 It is taught..by little magic pamphlets which..teach you ‘at a glance’. Domino, presto, chango—watch me closely now—and you will see that instead of speaking English Yow jâblow espaniyowl.
1935 Sci. Monthly Nov. 413/2 At night a few skins were spread over it, and, presto changeo! it became their bed.
1959 P. Deriabin & F. Gibney Secret World xii. 150 It may be that his wife is ill and desperately wants a vacation. Presto changeo, something can be arranged.
1986 J. Lee Performing Asian Amer. vii. 198 And you? The young prince returned from exile in the wilderness? Turned black! Presto change-o!
2004 Variety 26 Apr. 55 But—presto change-o!—Joel and Sharyl, last seen at daggers drawn, now are the plastic couple on the wedding cake.
B. adj. (attributive).
Versatile, adaptable; resembling or of the nature of a conjuring trick. Hence: quick or sudden; swift and unexpected. Cf. quick change n. at quick adj., n.1, and adv. Compounds 1b.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > manner of action > rapidity or speed of action or operation > [adjective]
hiefulc1230
hastyc1330
swift1340
graithfula1400
yedera1400
short1480
speedy1529
expedite1540
quick1548
postingc1553
hasting1566
rushing1694
nimble1707
presto1767
presto change1835
quick-action1887
presto changeo1923
knife-edge1969
light speed1987
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > legerdemain, etc. > [adjective]
juggling?1531
sleight1533
prestigious?1534
juggled1536
conjuring1552
legerdemain1576
prestigiatory1588
hocus-pocus1668
presto1826
prestidigital1856
prestidigitatory1860
prestidigitatorial1861
presto changeo1923
1923 Lima (Ohio) News & Times-Democrat 22 Apr. 18/1 She may..view with tolerance..a device that makes an impromptu guest-room out of the..drawing-room. But she..has no such toleration for such presto-chango costumery.
1926 Chron.-Telegram (Elyria, Ohio) 24 Mar. 9/4 This presto-chango trick was performed by Prof. Bancroft in full view of the populace, with nothing up his sleeve.
1946 Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) 22 Mar. 24/3 (advt.) The word ‘Nemo’ is the presto chango word, the magic word that enables the not-so-slender to work wonders with her silhouette.
1977 Washington Post (Nexis) 3 Feb. dc1 She doesn't work any presto-chango miracles. She has no medical training. All she does is put on a pink dress and push the gift cart through the hospital, smiling most of the while.
1987 W. B. Ober Bottoms Up! 101 This transient, magically given, ‘presto-changeo’ leprosy found no place in Christian art, but it is illustrated in two fourteenth-century Spanish haggadot.
2004 Philadelphia Inquirer (Nexis) 24 Oct. h4 His is fine playwriting, even when it sometimes forces Martha (and Ivey) into presto-chango emotional extremes.
C. n.
A quick or sudden change, a volte-face. Also occasionally: an instance of saying ‘presto changeo’; a quick-change act.
ΚΠ
1927 Lincoln (Nebraska) Star 13 Feb. c8 Under their presto-chango, everything even unto the mattresses..and the good old bear rug..come back looking their cleanest and perkiest.
1958 R. L. Cook Dimensions of Robert Frost vi. 179 The New Deal administration was doing a little good too hastily... It was too much ‘presto chango’.
1977 Washington Post (Nexis) 4 Nov. d5 Bixby's first presto-changeo is a stunner,..as lightning rips up the sky and his suddenly expanding muscles rip up his astonishing shirt.
1994 Capital (Annapolis, Maryland) 8 Dec. c11/1 Mr. Schrader..is known as anything but a fun guy. That's a perception he wants to undergo a little presto-chango.
2005 Real Simple Feb. 66 Each year, you begrudgingly pull that same winter coat out of storage just one more time. Try refreshing its look... Here, a few possible presto-change-os.
D. adv.
Suddenly, straightaway.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > relative time > immediacy > [adverb]
soonc825
ratheeOE
rathelyeOE
rekeneOE
rekenlyOE
thereright971
anonOE
forth ona1000
coflyc1000
ferlyc1000
radlyOE
swiftlyc1000
unyoreOE
yareOE
at the forme (also first) wordOE
nowOE
shortlya1050
rightOE
here-rightlOE
right anonlOE
anonc1175
forthrightc1175
forthwithalc1175
skeetc1175
swithc1175
with and withc1175
anon-rightc1225
anon-rights?c1225
belivec1225
lightly?c1225
quickly?c1225
tidelyc1225
fastlyc1275
hastilyc1275
i-radlichec1275
as soon asc1290
aright1297
bedenea1300
in little wevea1300
withoute(n dwella1300
alrightc1300
as fast (as)c1300
at firstc1300
in placec1300
in the placec1300
mididonec1300
outrightc1300
prestc1300
streck13..
titec1300
without delayc1300
that stounds1303
rada1325
readya1325
apacec1325
albedenec1330
as (also also) titec1330
as blivec1330
as line rightc1330
as straight as linec1330
in anec1330
in presentc1330
newlyc1330
suddenlyc1330
titelyc1330
yernec1330
as soon1340
prestly1340
streckly1340
swithly?1370
evenlya1375
redelya1375
redlya1375
rifelya1375
yeplya1375
at one blastc1380
fresha1382
ripelyc1384
presentc1385
presently1385
without arrestc1385
readilyc1390
in the twinkling of a looka1393
derflya1400
forwhya1400
skeetlya1400
straighta1400
swifta1400
maintenantc1400
out of handc1400
wightc1400
at a startc1405
immediately1420
incontinent1425
there and then1428
onenec1429
forwithc1430
downright?a1439
agatec1440
at a tricec1440
right forth1440
withouten wonec1440
whipc1460
forthwith1461
undelayed1470
incessantly1472
at a momentc1475
right nowc1475
synec1475
incontinently1484
promptly1490
in the nonce?a1500
uncontinent1506
on (upon, in) the instant1509
in short1513
at a clap1519
by and by1526
straightway1526
at a twitch1528
at the first chop1528
maintenantly1528
on a tricea1529
with a tricec1530
at once1531
belively1532
straightwaysa1533
short days1533
undelayedly1534
fro hand1535
indelayedly1535
straight forth1536
betimesc1540
livelyc1540
upononc1540
suddenly1544
at one (or a) dash?1550
at (the) first dash?1550
instantly1552
forth of hand1564
upon the nines1568
on the nail1569
at (also in, with) a thoughtc1572
indilately1572
summarily1578
at one (a) chop1581
amain1587
straightwise1588
extempore1593
presto1598
upon the place1600
directly1604
instant1604
just now1606
with a siserary1607
promiscuously1609
at (in) one (an) instant1611
on (also upon) the momenta1616
at (formerly also on or upon) sight1617
hand to fist1634
fastisha1650
nextly1657
to rights1663
straightaway1663
slap1672
at first bolt1676
point-blank1679
in point1680
offhand1686
instanter1688
sonica1688
flush1701
like a thought1720
in a crack1725
momentary1725
bumbye1727
clacka1734
plumba1734
right away1734
momentarily1739
momentaneously1753
in a snap1768
right off1771
straight an end1778
abruptedly1784
in a whistle1784
slap-bang1785
bang?1795
right off the reel1798
in a whiff1800
in a flash1801
like a shot1809
momently1812
in a brace or couple of shakes1816
in a gird1825
(all) in a rush1829
in (also at, on) short (also quick) order1830
straightly1830
toot sweetc1830
in two twos1838
rectly1843
quick-stick1844
short metre1848
right1849
at the drop of a (occasionally the) hat1854
off the hooks1860
quicksticks1860
straight off1873
bang off1886
away1887
in quick sticks (also in a quick stick)1890
ek dum1895
tout de suite1895
bung1899
one time1899
prompt1910
yesterday1911
in two ups1934
presto changeo1946
now-now1966
presto change1987
1946 D. M. Nelson Arsenal of Democracy iii. 42 The chief handicap..was possibly the airy belief that any automobile plant or tractor factory could close up shop on Friday and, presto chango! start making the world's best tanks on Monday morning.
1987 W. Coleman Heavy Daughter Blues 216 Presto-chango two magnums of the purple bubbly appear and in the midst of popping corks someone calls my name.
1996 Mod. Asian Stud. 30 353 Presto change-o, we have a ‘developing, modernizing nation’.
2004 Amer. Prospect Apr. 7/1 Ever wonder where the neocons got all their crazy notions?... That the nation [sc. Iraq] could be converted, presto change-o, into a model democracy?
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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int.adj.n.adv.1905