the spit and image of (one)
A person who looks exactly like or bears a very strong resemblance to one. Wow, you are just the spit and image of your mother! I was about to call you by her name. That guy over there looks like the spit and image of someone I went to high school with.
*spit and image of someone
and *the spitting image of someonethe very likeness of someone; a very close resemblence to someone. (*The second version is a frequent error. *Typically: be ~; look like ~.) John is the spit and image of his father. At first, I thought you were saying "spitting image."