1903. Judy, 9 Dec., 577. 1. 'Yes, that's bad enough! But what would you do if you were in my shoes?' 'Eh? Oh, then I should be fairly down on my uppers.'
Upper-ben (or Upper-benjamin),
subs. phr. (old).—A
great coat (Grose); also Benjy:
orig. Joseph, but (Hotten)
'because of the preponderance
of tailors named Benjamin,
altered in deference to them.'
Upper-crust, subs. phr. (pugilists').—The
skin.
1832. Egan, Book of Sports. Sam's nob had been in pepper alley, and his upper crust was rather changed.
2. See Upper-ten.
3. (common).—A hat: see Golgotha.
Upper-hand. To have (hold,
or get) the upper-hand (fortune,
or whip-hand), verb. phr.
(old colloquial).—To have (hold
or get) at one's command, in
one's power, lead, or under control;
to have the day as one's
own; to have full play or advantage.
1525. Tyndale, New Test, [Oliphant, New Eng., i. 413. Orrmin's oferrhannd. now becomes the upper hande].
1613. Fletcher, Honest Man's Fortune, i. 2. You have the upper fortune of him.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas [Routledge], 106. He challenged them to drink, and in every respect took the upper hand.
1857-61. Buckle, Hist. Civilization, ii. iii. The nobles thus attained the upper hand.
1886. Stevenson, Kidnapped, 175. I was growing impatient to get back and have the upper hand of my uncle.
Upper-lip. To keep a stiff
upper-lip, verb. phr. (common).—To
be courageous, self-reliant
under difficulties, unflinching in
quest.
1833. Neal, Down Easters, ii. 15. Keep a stiff upper lip; no bones broke—don't I know?
1835. Haliburton, Clockmaker, 1st S. xxxii. He was well to do in the world once, carried a stiff upper lip, and keered for no one.
1847. Chronicles of Pineville, 150. Tut, tut, major, keep a stiff upper lip, and you'll bring him this time.
1850. Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin, xii. I hope you keep up good heart, and are cheerful. Now, no sulks, ye see; keep a stiff upper lip, boys; do well by me, and I'll do well by you.
1899. Westcott, David Harum, xvi. He's got a pretty stiff upper lip of his own, I reckon.
Upper-shell, subs. phr. (Old
Cant).—A coat: whence under-shell
= a waistcoat: cf. Upper-stocks.
Upper-sixpenny, subs. phr.
(Eton).—A playing field: see
Sixpenny.
Upper-stock, subs. phr. (Old
Cant).—In pl. = trunk hose,
breeches: see Kicks.
1546. Heywood, Epigrams. The upper-stocks be they stuft with silk or flocks.
Upper-storey (-loft, -works,
etc.), subs. phr. (common).—The
head, brain (Grose). Hence unfurnished
(something wrong,
or rats) in the upper-storey
= crazy, demented, ignorant, off
one's chump (q.v.), drunk.
1751. Smollett, Peregrine Pickle, vi. I'd have you take care of your upper works. Ibid. (1771), Humphry Clinker (1900), i. 180. Which you imagine to be the new light of grace . . . I take to be a deceitful vapour glimmering through a crack in your upper storey.
1773. Foote, Bankrupt. [A man's head is called] his upper storey.
