1809. Scott, Lady of the Lake, vi. 5. Yet whoop, Barnaby! off with thy liquor, Drink upsees out, and a fig for the vicar.
Upset. See Apple-cart.
Upsides. To be upsides with,
verb. phr. (colloquial).—To be
even with, quits with, a match
for.
1816. Scott, Antiquary, xxi. I'se be upsides wi' him ae day.
1861. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford, xxxix. Nay, 'twarn't altogether spite, tho' I won't say but what I might ha' thought o' bein' upsides wi' them.
Upsitting, subs. (old).—The sitting
up of a woman to see her friends
after her confinement; the feast
held on such an occasion.
1607. Dekker, Westward Hoe. The jest shall be a stock to maintain us and our pewfellows in laughing at christenings, cryings out, and upsittings this twelve month.
1641. Brome, Jovial Crew, ii. We will have such a lying-in, and such a christening; such upsitting and gossiping.
Upskip, subs. (old).—An upstart
(q.v.).
1549. Latimer, Serm. Bef. Ed. VI., ii. Put it not to the hearing of these velvet coats, these upskips.
Upsodown, adv. (colloquial).—Topsy-turvy
(q.v.), upside-down:
also upset-down.
[Smyth-Palmer: Upside-down
is no doubt . . . a false light of
old Eng. up-so-down, i.e. up
what (was) down, so being the
old relative pronoun]. Cf. Back-sevore.
1340. Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 673. What es man in shap bot a tre, Turned up þet es doun, als men may se. Ibid., 7230. Þafor it es ryght and resoune þat þai be turned up-swa-doune.
c. 1360. Allit. Poems, 99. 362. Truly þis ilk toun schal tylte to grounde, Vp-so-doun schal [yogh]e dumpe depe to þe abyme.
[?]. Apology for Lollards [Camden Soc. 19]. Þat þe kirk performe it solemply, candel slekennid, bell ro[n]gun, and þe cros turnid vp so doun.
1378. Wycliffe, Bible, Job xxx. 12. Thei turneden vpsedoun my feet. Ibid., Unpub. Works [E.E.T.S.], 119. Proude clerkis and coueitouse, thei clepen holy chirche to turnen alle þing vpsodoun as anticristis disciplis.
1383. Chaucer, Cant. Tales, 1379. 'Knight's Tale.' Shortly turned was al up-so-doun, Bothe habit and eek disposicioun Of him, this woful lovere, daun Arcite.
1481. Caxton, Reynard the Fox [Arber], 74. Me thynketh this court is al torned vp so doun.
1483. Cath. Ang., 397. To turne vp so down; euertere.
1493. Gower, Confessio Amantis, ii. The londe was tourned upso downe.
[?]. Ancient Ballads [Lilly], 235. Turne their hartes quite vpsidowne, To become true subjects.
1611. Bible, Authorised Version, Acts xvii. 6. These that haue turned the world vpside downe, are come hither also.
Upstairs, subs. (London).—A
special brand of spirits: a bottle
usually kept on a shelf: e.g. 'a
drop of upstairs.' The particular
brand varies with the house.
To go upstairs out of the world, verb. phr. (old).—To be hanged: see Ladder.
1695. Congreve, Love for Love, ii. 7. By your looks you should go upstairs out of the world.
Upstart, subs. (B. E. and Grose).—1.
A person suddenly raised
from poverty to wealth, from a
humble position to consequence,
or from servitude to power: now
recognised.
1592. Greene, Quip for Upstart Courtier [Harl. Misc., v. 402]. In faith, goodman goosecap, you that are come from the startups, and therefore is called ad up-start, quasi start up from clouted shoone.
