adv. (colloquial).—TOPSY-TURVY (q.v.), upside-down: also UPSET-DOWN. [SMYTH-PALMER: Upside-down is no doubt … a false light of old Eng. UP-SO-DOWN, i.e., UP what (was) DOWN, SO being the old relative pronoun]. Cf. BACKSEVORE.

1

  c. 1340.  RICHARD ROLLE OF HAMPOLE, Prick of Conscience, 673.

            What es man in shap bot a tre,
Turned up ÞET ES DOUN, als men may se.
    Ibid., 7230.
Þafor it es ryght and resoune,
Þat þai be turned UP-SWA-DOUNE.

2

  c. 1360.  Alliterative Poems, 99. 362.

        Truly þis ilk toun schal tylte to grounde,
VP-SO-DOUN schal ȝe dumpe depe to þe abyme.

3

  [?].  An Apology for Lollard Doctrines [Camden Society, 19]. Þat þe kirk performe it solemply, candel slekennid, bell ro[n]gun, and þe cros turnid VP SO DOUN.

4

  1378.  WYCLIF, Bible, Job xxx. 12. Thei turneden VPSEDOUN my feet. Ibid., F. D. MATTHEW’S, The English Works of Wyclif Hitherto Unprinted [E.E.T.S.], 119. Proude clerkis & coueitouse, þei clepen holy chirche to turnen alle þing VPSODOUN as anticristis disciplis.

5

  1383.  CHAUCER, The Canterbury Tales, 1379. ‘The Knight’s Tale.’

            Shortly turned was al UP-SO-DOUN,
Bothe habit and eek disposicioun
Of him, this woful lovere, daun Arcite.

6

  1481.  CAXTON, Reynard the Fox [ARBER], 74. Me thynketh this court is al torned VP SO DOON.

7

  1483.  Catholicon Anglicum, 397. To Turne VP SO DOWN; Euertere.

8

  1493.  GOWER, Confessio Amantis, ii. The londe was tourned UPSO DOWNE.

9

  [?].  Ancient Ballads [LILLY], 235.

          Els turne their hartes quite VPSIDOWNE
To become true subjectes.

10

  1611.  Bible, Authorised Version, Acts xvii. 6. These that haue turned the world VPSIDE DOWNE, are come hither also.

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