Topsail (or Topsails Over), phr. (old). Topsy-turvy (q.v); heels over head.
c. 1430. Destr. Troy ((E.E.T.S.), 1219. Mony turnyt with tene topsayles ouer That hurlet to the hard vrthe and there horse leuyt.
[?] Rom. of Cheuelere Assigne (E.E.T.S.), 320. And eyther of hem topseyle tumbledde to the erthe.
To pay one's debts with the topsail, verb. phr. (nautical) (Grose).—To go to sea leaving scores unpaid; cf. (military) 'to pay one's score with the drum' (= to march away).
Tops-and-bottoms. To play
at tops-and-bottoms, verb.
phr. (venery).—To copulate: see
Ride.
Top-sawyer, 1. See Top, subs.
2. (tailors').—A collar. Also the front of a garment.
To play top-sawyer, verb. phr. (venery).—To copulate: see Ride.
Top-shuffle, verb. phr. (gaming).—To
shuffle the lower half of a
pack over the upper half without
disturbing it. The cut, of course,
buries it, but by a very simple
movement the cards are forced
back to their original condition.
This is 'shifting the cut,' and
can be done with one hand or
two.
Topsy-boosy, adj. phr. (common).—Drunk:
see Screwed.
Topsy-turvy, adv. (old colloquial).—Upside
down; upset; in confusion:
also as adj., subs., and
verb. with derivatives such as
topsy-turvily, topsy-turviness,
topsy-turvydom, topsy-turvyfication,
topsy-turvify,
and topsy-turvyism
(Grose). [Of uncertain but
much-discussed derivation: the
word also shows remarkable
changes in form, many of which
are given infra. The most recently
accepted theory of probable
derivation (Hall, Skeat, and
Century) is top + so + tervy
(= overthrown), with confusion in
some of the forms with kindred
phrases, such as topsails over
(q.v.).]
Variants.—Topsy-tervy; topsy-tyrvy; topsie-turvie; topse-torve; topsy-turvye; topsie-turvy; topsy-turvy; tupsie-turvie; topsi-turvy; topsy-turvey; topsoltiria (Scots); tapsalteerie (Scots); tapsie-teerie (Scots); top-turvye; topsey; turvy-topsy; topsyd-turvey; topside-turvey; topside-turvy; topsyturn; topsiturn; topsieturn; topsyturny; topsi-*turnie; topsieturn; topsiturn; topside-turned; topset-torvie; topset-turvie; topset-tirvi; topside the other way; topside totherway; topside turf-*way; tossy-tail.
1528. Roy, Rede Me, &c. [Arber], 51. He tourneth all thynge topsy tervy.
1547. Heywood,Dialogues [Pearson, Works (1874), vi. 214]. [Topside-turned.]
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, ii. [Arber, 33, 59]. Topside turvey. Ibid. (1586), Descr. Ireland, 26. 2. The estate of that flourishing towne was turned arsie versie, topside the other waie.
1586. [Foster, Notes and Queries, 5 S. ii. 478. In Bodleian MS. Rawl. Poet. 25 (which is dated 1694-5, and is a 1586), on the reverse of sign. E 7, eleventh line, I find the phrase topside turfway.]
