adv. phr. and a. [UP adv.1 26 c (c). See DATE sb.2 7.]
A. adv. phr. 1. Right up to the present time, or the time of writing.
1870. W. M. Baker, New Timothy, xiii. 136. So of Solomon in reference to Rehoboam, and of every father in reference to his son up to date; except, dear friend, your father.
1882. Imperial Dict., s.v. Post v., To make the requisite entries on [a book] up to date.
1899. Plummer, Saxon Chronicles, II. p. xxvii. But up to 1001 the Winchester monks kept it up to date.
2. In a condition abreast of the times in respect of qualities, style, knowledge, presentation of facts, etc.
1889. Sims & Pettitt (title), Faust Up to Date. Burlesque Opera.
1890–. [see DATE sb. 7].
1892. Photogr. Ann., II. 293. The improvements for this season render this camera quite ‘up to date.’
1892. Bookseller, 8/2. The … information seems … to be as accurate and as well up to date as ever.
1894. Daily News, 9 June, 5/2. Why, then, should Lord Salisbury sharpen his faculties and keep them, as the odious modern phrase is, up to date?
B. adj. 1. Extending to the present time; presenting or inclusive of the latest facts, details, etc.; employing or involving the latest methods or devices.
1888. Academy, 4 Feb., 73/2. In the absence of a good up-to-date English work on the islands.
1890. Sat. Rev., 16 Aug., 209/2. A complete and up-to-date summary of Demosthenic scholarship.
1892. Pall Mall G., 8 Feb., 2/1. Providing Malta dockyard with proper and up-to-date salvage and pumping apparatus.
1894. Sala, London up to Date, 30. Juvenility of appearance and general up-to-date smartness.
2. a. pred. Of persons: Having or employing the latest information, facts, or methods; keeping or being abreast of the times.
1889. W. S. Gilbert, Gondoliers, I. A Grand Inquisitor is always up to date.
1892. Spectator, 5 March, 339/1. The young farmer is thoroughly up to date, to use the modern catch-word.
1896. Pall Mall Mag., March, 397. Jimmy is up to date, and much too clever for me.
b. attrib. Having tastes, style, manners, etc., regarded as prevailing at or characteristic of the present time.
1897. Star, 16 Dec., 3/4. Up-to-date damsels, and eighteenth century belles.
1897. McCarthy, Own Times, V. v. 99. The ‘up-to-date’ reader, to use a vile slang phrase of the present day, does not much care about classics.
Hence Up-to-dateness (freq. in recent use); Up-to-datish(ness; Up-to-datism.
1891. Bicycling News, 21 Feb., 113/2. Their list … suggests cheapness and up-to-dateness.
1893. Educat. Rev., May, 423. His up-to-dateness … in the right view of handling history in class.
1893. Pall Mall Mag., I. 75. The terrible well-informedness and alarming up-to-datism.
1902. Westm. Gaz., 14 July, 2/3. And this, they keep saying, is ‘up-to-datishness.’
1903. Chr. Endeavour Times, 5 Nov. The Academy, under its new editor, is decidedly more up-to-datish.
