[UP- 2.]
I. † 1. Sc. An insurrection, revolt. Obs.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., V. xii. 3634 (Cott. MS.). His lufftennandis þai slew þar … In to þat vpset richt fellon. Ibid., VIII. iv. 699. Þat vpset … Þat Chore agayne Moyses wroucht.
† 2. north. and Sc. The fact of setting up in business as a master, or of becoming a freeman in a particular trade; also, the sum paid to the guild on this occasion. Obs.
1463–4. in York Memo. Bk., II. (Surtees), 207. Every foreine walker commyng to this citie … and wil sett up as a maister,… he shall paie at his upsett xiijs. iiijd.
1505. in A. Pennecuik, Blue Blanket (1756), 46. Persons … admitted frie men or master to the saids Crafts,… shall pay at his entrie for his upset, Five pounds.
1598. in J. M. Lambert, 2000 Years Gild Life (1891), 255. The moytie of all Upsettes, incomes, or other receites … accrewinge … to the said Companie.
1639. Rec. Burgh Lanark (1893), 133. That nae persone … be admittit … frieman for any les wpsett nor is abone wryttin.
1687. in J. R. Boyle, Hedon (1875), App. 192. Every apprentice…, his yeares beinge ended, shall pay for his upp sett two shillings to the said Company.
3. † a. A curved part of a bridle-bit, fitting over the tongue of the horse. Obs. (Cf. UPSET ppl. a. 1 b.)
1607. Markham, Cavel., II. 64. Others … haue added, from the eye of the byt to the outside of the vpset, a strong trench. Ibid. The fashion of which vpsets … you shall behold in these figures.
1611. Cotgr., Col d’oye, the port, or vpset of some Bits.
1611. Florio, Suenata briglia, a bit with an open mouth as ports or upsets.
c. 1720. Gibson, Farrier’s Guide, II. lxii. (1722), 218. The usual Method of Cure is to open the Horse’s Mouth with the Upset.
b. Mining. (See quots.)
1883. Gresley, Gloss. Coal-M., 268. Upset, a bolt hole or thirl put through between two levels in edge coals.
1886. J. Barrowman, Sc. Mining Terms, 69. Upset, a short working place driven to the rise.
4. = UPSHOT sb. 4.
1821. J. W. Croker, Diary, 9 June. The upset, however, is that all is at a stand.
1901. F. E. Taylor, Folk-sp. S. Lancs., Upset, the upshot.
5. a. A rendering or translation.
1828. T. C. Croker, Fairy Leg. S. Irel., II. 71. It would be a thousand pities not to give you his verses; so here’s my hand at an upset of them into English.
b. A rough draft.
1841. H. Greeley, in Corr. R. W. Griswold (1898), 102. Having got the right sort of a letter from Burleigh, I have set right down and written you an upset of it.
II. 6. The overturing of a vehicle or boat; the fact of being overturned. (Cf. OVERSET sb. b.)
1804. Moore, Mem. (1853), I. 162. Driving through mud and filth,… and risking an upset at every step.
1840. B. Hall, Patchwork (1841), III. vii. 130. At this … moment, when an upset was obviously inevitable, the horses slackened their pace.
1852. Mansfield, Paraguay, etc. (1856), 112. The Major … was afraid of the possible consequences of an upset of the canoe.
1880. L. Stephen, Pope, iv. 90. He had good-naturedly lent his own chariot to a lady who had been hurt in an upset.
b. An overturning or overthrow of ideas, plans, etc. Also const. to.
1822. Blackw. Mag., XI. 453. The revolution and the upset of opinions … created a new order of … taste.
1827. Southey, in Corr. w. C. Bowles (1881), 119. What a strange upset of old principles and old measures!
1886. Manch. Exam., 9 June, 5/2. The result was a complete upset to all the predictions of the prophets.
c. A physical or (more commonly) mental disturbance or derangement.
1865. Chr. G. Rossetti, Prince’s Progr., xxv. Some old volcanic upset must Have rent … and blackened the crust.
1892. Huxley, in Life (1900), II. 320. My wife got an awful dose of neuralgia and general upset.
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VIII. 301. The poor and hard-working are subject to mental upset … in much larger numbers than the well-off.
d. A quarrel, a misunderstanding.
1887. G. R. Sims, Mary Jane’s Mem., 75. They were always getting at each other and both trying to bring me into their upsets.
1895. Daily News, 31 Oct., 9/1. We had only one upset there. I happened to hit the defendant.
