Related Words
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to keep it up
To prolong a debauch. 'He kept it up finely last night;' a metaphor drawn from a game of shuttlecock...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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keep
Food; subsistence; keeping. In a letter to his brother, Bishop Heber, speaking of Bishops' College c...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
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pick-it-up
n. a boys' name for the Diamondbird (q.v.). 1896. G. A. Keartland, `Horne Expedition in CentralAus...
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
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hut-keep
v. to act as hut-keeper. 1865. S. Sidney, `Three Colonies of Australia,' p. 380 «At this, as well...
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
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stock-keep
v. a quaint compound verb. 1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `Colonial Reformer,' c. x. p. 96(1890): «`What ...
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
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to keep company
To court. A common term in the interior parts of New England, applied to a man whose visits to a lad...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to rail it
To travel by rail-road. From Petersburgh I railed it through the North Carolina pitch, tar, turpent...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to spark it
To court. Used chiefly in New England. You were a nation sight wiser than brother Jonathan, sister ...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to streak it
is to run as fast as possible. O'er hill and dale with fury she did dreel, A' roads to her were go...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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fix it
A vulgarism of recent origin, but now very common. It is heard in such phrases as, 'I will not do so...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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d'rabbit it
a vulgar exclamation or abbreviation of God rabbit it, a foolish evasion of an oath. N. ...
A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
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bail up
v. 1) To secure the head of a cow in abail for milking. 2) By transference, to stop travellers in ...
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
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hang up
v. to tie up a horse. 1860. W. Kelly, `Life in Victoria,' p. 49 [Footnote]: «In Melbourne there a...
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
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log up
v. to make a log-support for thewindlass. 1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `Miner's Right,' c. v. p. 54: «W...
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
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ready up
v. See quotation. 1893. `The Age,' Nov. 25, p. 13, col. 2: « Mr. Purees: A statement has been mad...
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
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roll up
v. intr. to gather, to assemble. 1887. J. Farrell, `How he died,' p. 26: «The miners all rolled u...
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
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roll-up
n. a meeting. See preceding verb. 1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `Miner's Right,' c. xxxv. p. 308: «Makin...
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
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stick-up
v. tr. 1) The regular word for theaction of bushrangers stopping passers-by on the highway androbbi...
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
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sticker-up
I. n. sc. a bushranger. 1879. W. J. Barry, `Up and Down,' p. 197: «They had only just been liber...
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
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stock-up
v. complete the number of animalson a station, so that it may carry its full complement. 1890. Rol...
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
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to blow up
To scold, to abuse, either in speaking or writing. A vulgar expression borrowed from sailor's langua...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to brisk up
To come up with life and speed; to take an erect or bold attitude.--Webster. An Americanism. ...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to brush up
To prepare oneself; to take courage. When Miss Mary came, I brushed up, and was determined to have ...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to chaw up
To use up; demolish. I heerd Tom Jones swar he'd chaw me up, if an inch of me was found in them dig...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to crack up
To crack, i. e. to brag or boast, is a verb common in old authors, from Chaucer downwards, and still...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to cut up
1) To criticise with severity; as, he was severely cut up in the newspapers. Some correspondent ask...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to fetch up
To stop suddenly. This sense of the word is not noticed in the English dictionaries, nor by Webster....
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to flare up
To blaze out; to get excited suddenly; to get into a passion. It is expected that this grand discus...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to hold up
In allusion to the weather, to clear up, after a storm; to stop raining. Though nice and dark the p...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to knock up
To wear out with fatigue.--Halliwell. It is the constant labour, unvaried by the least relaxation, ...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to pony up
A vulgar phrase, meaning to pay over money. Ex. 'Come, Mr. B----, pony up that account;' that is, pa...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to row up
To punish with words; to rebuke. It is an essential Westernism, and derived from the practice of mak...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to shut up
To hold one's tongue. A vulgar expression. Jones was singing, "'Tis the Star Spangled Banner;" but ...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to slick up
To dress up; to make fine. Mrs. Flyer was slicked up for the occasion, in the snuff-colored silk sh...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to spruce up
To dress oneself sprucely. In Sussex (England) they say, to sprug up, in the same sense. To-night w...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to square up
To put oneself in an attitude fit for boxing. Provincial in various parts of England.--Halliwell. Y...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to stive up
To stuff up close.--Johnson. Things are a good deal stived up. People's minds are sour, and I don't...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to tip up
To raise up one end, as of a cart, so that the contents may pass out.--Worcester. Both this and the ...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to use up
To discomfit; destroy. Grose has this word, which he calls a military one, meaning killed. I have p...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to wind up
To close up; to give the quietus to an antagonist in a debate; to effectually demolish. John Bell, ...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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blow-up
A quarrel; a dispute. A common expression, used in familiar conversation. There was a regular blow-...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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build up
To erect; and metaphorically to establish, to found. In this manner it was thought we should sooner...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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buttoning up
A Wall street phrase. When a broker has bought stock on speculation and it falls suddenly on his han...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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chock up
Close, tight; said of a thing which fits closely to another. When the bells ring, the wood-work the...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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done up
Ruined by gaming and extravagance.--Grose. We use it colloquially, where a person is ruined in any w...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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let up
A let up is a release; a relief. An expression borrowed from pugilists. There was no let up in the ...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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pick-up
A pick-up, or a pick-up dinner, is a dinner made up of such fragments of cold meats as remain from f...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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up to
To be up to a thing,' is to understand it. A common English and American vulgarism. Have you ever t...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
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to go it blind
To accede to any object with out due consideration. Mr. Greeley, in speaking of General Taylor's cla...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to go it strong
To perform an act with vigor or without scruple. President Polk in his message goes it strong for t...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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can't come it
is a vulgar expression for cannot do it. "You can't come it over me so," i. e. you cannot effect you...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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i swamp it!
An interjection of the same meaning as I swan! which see. Had that darn'd old vessel--that frigate ...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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in for it
Engaged in a thing from which there is no retreating. You may twitch at your collar and wrinkle you...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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say of it
taste it. S. From the French word. ESSAYER. Sc ADDING OF PEAS, a custom in the North, of boiling th...
A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
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to give it to one
is to rate, scold, or beat him severely.--Holloway, Prov. Dict. Used in the same sense in America. ...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
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bailing-up pen
n. place for fastening up cattle. 1889. R. M. Praed, `Romance of Station,' vol. i. c. ii.[`Eng. Di...
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
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full up of
adj. (slang) sick and tired of.«Full on,» and «full of,» are other forms. 1890. Rolf Boldrewood, `...
Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris
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the jig is up
i. e. the game is up; it is all over with me. The time was when I could cut pigeon wings, and perfo...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to break up land
To plough up land that has lain long as a meadow, is the sense as understood in the United States. I...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to cut up shines
To cut capers, play tricks. A wild bull of the prairies was cutting up shines at no great distance,...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to pull up stakes
To pack up one's furniture or baggage preparatory to a removal; to remove. If this stranger is to r...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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catawamptiously chawed up
Completely demolished, utterly defeated. One of the ludicrous monstrosities in which the vulgar lang...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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up-a-day
A fondling expression of a nurse to a child, when she takes it up in her arms, or lifts it over some...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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up to snuff
To be flash; to be shrewd. Up to snuff and a pinch above it, is a common cant phrase.--Grose. Both t...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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up to trap
Knowing; shrewd. English and American. Phrenology is a little bit dangerous. It is only fit for an ...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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A glossary of provincial and local words used in England by Francis Grose
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to keep a stiff upper lip
is to continue firm, unmoved. My friend, said he, don't cry for spilt milk; keep a stiff upper lip;...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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keep the pot a boiling
i. e. Don't let the game flag. A common expression among young people, when they are anxious to carr...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to hang up one's fiddle
To desist; to give up. When a man loses his temper and ain't cool, he might as well hang up his fid...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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to row up salt river
is a common phrase, used generally to signify political defeat. The distance to which a party is row...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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hurry up the cakes
i.e. Be quick; look alive. This phrase, which has lately got into vogue, originated in the common Ne...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.
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up to the hub
To the extreme point. The figure is that of a vehicle sunk in the mud up to the hub of the wheels, w...
Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.