Slang derivation: "Toe up"
sdti...@my-dejanews.com
What is the derivation of the slang phrase "toe up" (messed up, screwed
up, wrong)? Does it come from "torn up," as it sounds to me that it
should? Or is there some other explanation?
Any assistance would be appreciated.
Stephen Tilson
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Robert Lieblich
>
> Settle a debate I'm having with my 8th grade Spanish students.
>
> What is the derivation of the slang phrase "toe up" (messed up, screwed
> up, wrong)? Does it come from "torn up," as it sounds to me that it
> should? Or is there some other explanation?
This is only a guess, and others may come along with something better.
In the morgue, cadavers are placed on their back, toes up, and a tag is
placed on one of the big toes. If you are "toes up" (I hear it, when I
do, in the plural), you are dead. You can't get much more "torn up"
than that.
Bob Lieblich
Idiom Savant
Michael Cargal
>Settle a debate I'm having with my 8th grade Spanish students.
>
>What is the derivation of the slang phrase "toe up" (messed up, screwed
>up, wrong)? Does it come from "torn up," as it sounds to me that it
>should? Or is there some other explanation?
>
>Any assistance would be appreciated.
I think it comes from "toes up," meaning dead.
--
Michael Cargal car...@cts.com
David Nebenzahl
> Settle a debate I'm having with my 8th grade Spanish students.
>
> What is the derivation of the slang phrase "toe up" (messed up, screwed
> up, wrong)? Does it come from "torn up," as it sounds to me that it
> should? Or is there some other explanation?
Are you sure they're not saying "to' up", which is (for lack of a better term)
black-speak for "tore up", or torn up? "Him and Brandon had a fight and his
ass got ALL to' up!"
Judging from what little context you've provided (8th grade students), I think
the speculations others have posted here (relating to "toe up") are only that.
By the way, you didn't say what the arguments of the debate were. What do you
think the derivation is?
Kurt Foster
. What is the derivation of the slang phrase "toe up" (messed up, screwed
. up, wrong)?
.
Never heard this one. There's "toes up" meaning "dead". Either a
screwup or a stance that ends a campaign (or is just plain fatal) might
possibly be signified as a "toes-up" or perhaps a "toe-up". [This would
appear to be an instance of the rhetorical device of labelling the cause
as the effect. SEE metonymy, synecdoche]
It is also at least plausible that "toes-up" could have acquired a
meaning like "balls-up" (meaning screwed up or messed up, in analogy with
falling on one's prat), but I've never heard "toes-up" used this way.
Robert M. Wilson
Kurt Foster <kfo...@shell.rmi.net> wrote:
>In <71vms9$mmk$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>, sdti...@my-dejanews.com said:
>
>.. up, wrong)?
>..
> Never heard this one. There's "toes up" meaning "dead". Either a
>screwup or a stance that ends a campaign (or is just plain fatal) might
>possibly be signified as a "toes-up" or perhaps a "toe-up". [This would
>appear to be an instance of the rhetorical device of labelling the cause
>as the effect. SEE metonymy, synecdoche]
> It is also at least plausible that "toes-up" could have acquired a
>meaning like "balls-up" (meaning screwed up or messed up, in analogy with
>falling on one's prat), but I've never heard "toes-up" used this way.
I have never heard it used this way either,
The only way that I have heard "toe-up" is to mean 'to get ready, get
organized, stop fooling around', close in meaning to 'toe the line'.
Scott Mcphee
in reference to death.
Scott Mcphee
Robert M. Wilson wrote in message <721vao$glu$1...@frasier.island.net>...
Henry Tickner
<hyp...@email.msn.com> writes
>One of my friends uses this term to refer to an ugly woman. Presumably it is
>in reference to death.
I suspect not. Try asking him. (It *is* a him, isn't it?)
--
Henry Tickner
The 'nospam' is my ISP's domain, the 'boudoir' is mine.
sdti...@my-dejanews.com
David Nebenzahl <n...@microtech.com> wrote:
>
> Judging from what little context you've provided (8th grade students), I think
> the speculations others have posted here (relating to "toe up") are only that.
>
> By the way, you didn't say what the arguments of the debate were. What do you
> think the derivation is?
>
I think the derivation is "torn up" > "tore up" > "toe up." They were saying
"toe," singular, rather than "toes," although I suppose if the R can be
dropped, so can the S.
I have heard "tits up," "balls up," and "belly up" for "dead." "Toes up"
is a new one on me.
As to the arguments we were using: I was arguing that "toe up" makes no
sense except as a shortened form of "torn up." They were arguing that I
was old and therefore stupid.
Stephen
Martin A. Mazur
>Settle a debate I'm having with my 8th grade Spanish students.
>
>should? Or is there some other explanation?
>
>
>
>-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
>http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own
Never heard of it. You may be hearing "to' up", a version of "tore up", which
is one black-english version of "torn up".( "He got in a fight an' he all to'
up") I've heard of "to toe up" meaning "to get ready". (Sprinters toe up to
the starting line.) Others have responded that "toes up" means "dead". I've
never heard that usage either, so I'll have to take their word on it. Closer
to your intended meaning: if something flops, it is sometimes said to have
gone "tits up".
--
Martin A. Mazur .................... Representing only himself
http://www.personal.psu.edu/mxm14/
SOME POLISH COOKING: http://www.personal.psu.edu/mxm14/wigilia.htm
MY COMETS PAGE: http://www.personal.psu.edu/mxm14/comets.htm
Every religion that does not affirm that God is hidden is not true.
- Blaise Pascal