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; TOPSITURNIE; TOPSIETURN; TOPSITURN; TOPSIDE-TURNED; TOPSET-TORVIE; TOPSET-TURVIE; TOPSET-TIRVI; TOPSIDE THE OTHER WAY; TOPSIDE TOTHERWAY; TOPSIDE TURFWAY; TOSSY-TAIL.
1528. ROY and BARLOW, Rede me and be nott wrothe [ARBER], 51. He tourneth all thynge TOPSY TERVY.
1547. HEYWOOD, Dialogues, 9 [PEARSON, Works (1874), vi. 214]. All things are TOPSIDE-TURN’D.
1582. STANYHURST, Æneis, ii. [ARBER, 33, 59]. TOPSIDE TURVEY. Ibid. (1586), Description of 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 copy of a MS. written not later than 1586), on the reverse of sign. E 7, eleventh line, I find the phrase TOPSIDE TURFWAY.]
1589. HUGHES, The Misfortunes of Arthur [DODSLEY, Old Plays (HAZLITT), iv. 324].
| There fortune laid the prime of Britain’s pride, | |
| There laid her pomp, all TOPSY-TURVY turn’d. |
1594. KYD, Cornelia [DODSLEY, Old Plays (REED), ii. 301].
| When thwarting destiny, at Africk walls, | |
| Did TOPSIDE-TURVEY turn their common-wealth. |
1596. SPENSER, The Fairie Queene, V. viii. 42.
| At last they have all overthrowne to ground, | |
| Quite TOPSIDE TURVEY. |
1598. SHAKESPEARE, 1 Henry IV., iv. 1. We shall o’er-turn it TOPSIE-TURVY down.
1605. SYLVESTER, Du Bartas, ii., ‘The Ark,’ 549.
| His trembling Tent all TOPSIE TURVIE wheels. | |
| Ibid., ‘The Vocation,’ 743. | |
| He breaketh in through thickest of his Foes, | |
| And by his travall TOPSI-TURNETH then. | |
| Ibid., ‘The Schisme,’ 918. | |
| Now, Nereus foams, and now the furious waves | |
| All TOPSIE-TURNED by th’ Æolian slaves, | |
| Do mount & roule. |
1581. B. RICH, Farewell to Militarie Profession. Now beholde all … my purposes tourned cleane TOPSE TORUE.
1612. CHAPMAN, The Widow’s Tears, v. 1. First Soldier. Tush, man; in this TOPSY-TURVY world friendship and bosom kindness are but made covers for mischief.
1617. MINSHEU, Guide into the Tongues, s.v. TOPSITURNIE, arsiversie.
1625. BURTON, The Anatomy of Melancholy, III. II. iii. 3. Would rather have the commonwealth turned TOPSIE TURVIE than her tires marred.
1653. URQUHART, Rabelais, i. xi. This little lecher was always groping his nurses and governesses, upside down, arsiversy, TOPSITURVY.
1654. H. L’ESTRANGE, The Reign of King Charles (1655), 75. Thus were all things strangely turned in a trice TOPSIDE T’ OTHER WAY.
1664. COTTON, Scarronides, or, Virgil Travestie (1770), 61.
| Then turning’t TOPSEY on her Thumb, | |
| Says, Look, here’s Supernaculum. | |
| Ibid., 288. | |
| That, if I had not knock’d him down, | |
| With a good Rap upon his Crown, | |
| And turn’d him TOPSY-TURVY under. |
1694. CONGREVE, The Double Dealer, v. All turned TOPSY-TURVY, as sure as a gun.
1713. ADDISON, The Guardian, 154, 7 Sept. I found nature turned TOPSY-TURVY; women changed into men, and men into women.
1740. RICHARDSON, Pamela, ii. 40. My poor mind is all TOPSY-TURVIED.
1759–67. STERNE, Tristram Shandy, iii. 169. With all my precautions how was my system turned TOPSIDE TURVY!
1765. TUCKER, The Light of Nature Pursued, II. ii. 23. His words are to be turned TOPSIDE TOTHER WAY to understand them.
d. 1774. GOLDSMITH, Hyperbole. Here the winds not only blow together, but they turn the whole body of the ocean TOPSY-TURVY.
1796. F. REYNOLDS, Fortune’s Fool, Epil.
| What a bonnet! why, it looks quite scurvy, | |
| It’s like a coal-scuttle turn’d TOPSY-TURVY. |
d. 1796. BURNS, Green Grow the Rashes, 3.
| An’ war’ly cares an’ war’ly men | |
| May a’ gae TAPSALTEERIE, O! |
1834. SOUTHEY, The Doctor, xxxix. In the TOPSY-TURVEYING course of time Hexthorp has become part of the soke of Doncaster.
1837. CARLYLE, The French Revolution, II. I. x. Then is it verily, as in Herr Tieck’s drama, a verkeherte welt, or world TOPSYTURVIED.
1840. THACKERAY, The Paris Sketch Book, ‘Madame Sand.’ ‘Valentine’ was followed by ‘Lelia,’ … a regular TOPSYTURVYFICATION of morality, a thieves’ and prostitutes’ apotheosis.
1851. HAWTHORNE, The House of the Seven Gables, i. The TOPSY-TURVY commonwealth of sleep.
d. 1878. BOWLES [MERRIAM, Life, II. 159]. It is very hard to keep it [optimistic faith] fresh and strong in the presence … of such TOPSY-TURNING of right and wrong.
1879. G. ELIOT, Impressions of Theophrastus Such, x. Insane patients whose system, all out of joint, finds matter for screaming laughter in mere TOPSY-TURVY.
1885. Daily Telegraph, 26 Nov., 2. Vivisection is TOPSYTURVYFIED in a manner far from pleasing to humanity. Ibid. (1886), 5 Feb. Has done some clever things in his time, can sing a good song, and might well be employed for Faust viewed TOPSITURVILY.
1885. The Athenæum, 21 March, 384. 3. The vien of cynical TOPSYTURVYDOM which has been so long worked with success at length shows signs of exhaustion.
1890. Notes and Queries, 7 S. x. 286. Under the heading TOPSY-TURVYDOM, the author says … the Japanese do many things in a way that runs directly counter to European ideas.
