adv., sb., and a. Forms: α. 4–5 up (5 upe, uppe) so doun (don, doune; 4 north. up swa doune), 4–6 up so down (5–6 downe). β. 4 upse-, 5 opsadoun; 4–6 upsedoun (5 -done), 5–6 -downe. γ. 6 up set doune; up (uppe) set (sette) downe. δ. 6 upsyde downe, upside doune (downe), 6– upside down. ε. 6–7 vpsidown(e, 6 upsidowne, 6 upsy(e)downe, 6 (9) upsydown. [Originally up so (northern swa) doun, frequently reduced to upsa-, upse-, and subsequently altered to upset and upside down, in the endeavor to make the phrase more intelligible. The use of so is peculiar, the only appropriate sense being that of ‘as if’ (SO adv. 17 c), and the phrase has no parallel in the cognate languages. It is possible that up to doun, occurring in R. Glouc. 6831 (with up so doun as a later variant) may be the more original form.]
A. adv. 1. So that the upper part or surface becomes the under or lower. Freq. in phr. to turn upside down; also in pred. use = inverted, overturned.
α. 13[?]. Seuyn Sages (W.), 788. The cradel and the child thai found Up so doun upon the ground.
c. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 7230. Þarfor it es ryght and resoune, Þat þai be turned up-swa-doune.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 67. Hise iȝen in his heed weren turned vp so doun.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., I. 275. The lond aboute a roote is to be moued Al vpsodoun.
c. 1500. Melusine, v. 25. Raymondyn … wold haue smytte hym betwene the foure legges, For he leye vpsodounne the bely vpward.
1532. Hervet, Xenophon’s Househ. (1534), 48 b. He also must … turne vp so downe and styr the grounde.
1538. Elyot, Dict., Procello,… to turn vp so downe.
β. 1382. Wyclif, Matt. xxi. 12. He turnyde vpsadoun [1388 vpsedoun] the bordis of chaungeris.
c. 1400. Brut, I. 253. Wherwiþ þe gode man awoke … and turnede his body opsadoun.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 512/2. Upsedowne,… eversus, subversus.
1523. Ld. Berners, trans. Froiss., I. 356. He toke kyng Dampeter by the legge and turned hym vpsedowne.
γ. c. 1520. Barclay, Jugurth (1557), 18. Transuersed or turned vp set downe.
1532. Hervet, Xenophon’s Househ., 55. Lyke this greke lettre, Υ, turned vp set downe.
δ. c. 1490. Liber Pluscardensis, XI. xi. (Bodl. MS.). Iustice makis ryche bath realme & ceteys,… Quhar lak of law bryngis all this vp sid doun [v.r. vpsadon].
1535. Coverdale, Judg. vii. 13. Whan it came to the tente, it … ouerthrow it, and turned it vpsyde downe.
1570. Foxe, A. & M. (ed. 2), 2307/2. The wagon also beyng cast vpsidedowne.
1600. J. Pory, trans. Leo’s Africa, III. 155. Deepely deluing into the earth, they turne vpside downe the foundations of houses.
1669. Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., V. 66. Every Fortnight … turn all the Barrels,… turn them upside down.
1706. London & Wise, Retir’d Gard’ner, I. x. 289. Stick into the Ground a Stake…, put at Top of it a Mug upside down.
c. 1791. Encycl. Brit. (1797), VII. 374/1. Others think, that the waters of the sea … turned the whole surface of the earth upside down.
1841. Mrs. Mozley, Lost Brooch, II. xxi. 154. They will come and search the house, and all our things will be turned upside down.
1889. J. K. Jerome, Three Men in Boat, xv. We … decided that the bottom was the top, and set to work to fix it upsidedown.
ε. 1569. W. Hubbard, Ceyx & Alcione, A vij. The boisterous windes … our ship on Seas did tosse…, Vntill it was turnd upsidowne.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. vii. 4. In his lap a masse of coyne he told, And turned vpsidowne, to feede his eye.
1848. Alb. Smith, Chr. Tadpole, xiv. 131. [The sand-glass] topples over upsy-down and runs back again.
2. fig. In, or into, a state of overthrow, reversal, or disorder. Chiefly with turn.
α. c. 1327. Pol. Songs (Camden), 335. Thus is the ordre of kniht turned up-so-doun.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., V. pr. iii. 156. How fer fro þe soþe and how vp so doun is þis þing þat we seyn.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 282. Al up so doun my joie it casteth.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 151. The wourld is tournyd almoost up so doun.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour, vi. 9. Atte the yongest doughtres hous it was turned up-so-doun, and alle unthrifti.
1508. Fisher, 7 Penit. Ps., vi. Wks. (1876), 12. The wounde of a mannes conscyence … stereth vpsodowne the memory.
1559. Mirr. Mag., B j. By reason kynge Richard,… By synister aduyse, had tourned all vpsodowne.
β. 13[?]. Minor Poems Vernon MS., lv. 103. For he may turne kuyndes vpsedoun, Þat alle kuyndes made of nouȝt.
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 17064. I ha tournd the vp-se-doun … With my trouble and with my wo.
1450[?]. in 3rd Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., 279/2. Who but antichrist coude turne the treuthe upsedone?
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 625. To chaunge all things, and tourne the world upsedowne.
γ. 1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys, 135. A foole … tournynge the lawes vp set downe By vyle rewardes.
1540. Morysine, Vives’s Introd. Wysd., B iij b. Many [things] … have loste their ryghte estimation and are chaunged uppe sette downe.
1569. J. Sanford, trans. Agrippa’s Van. Artes, 89. They disquiet and turne the earth upset downe.
δ. 1535. Coverdale, Ps. cxlv[i]. 9. As for the waye of ye vngodly, he turneth it vpsyde downe.
1579. Knewstub, Confut., Ep. Ded. *4 b. H. N. turneth religion vp side downe, and buildeth heauen heere vpon earth.
1627. H. Lesly, Serm. bef. Majesty, 23. Our nature … must be turned up-sidedowne, cast into a new mould.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 305, ¶ 15. These young Machiavils will, in a little time, turn their College upside-down with Plots and Stratagems.
1817. Keatinge, Trav., I. 33. The walls of this town exemplify to us … the world turned upside down.
1855. Kingsley, Westw. Ho! iv. Mr. Frank … would have … turned her poor little flighty brains upside down for ever.
1883. Stevenson, Treas. Isl., xxx. Why, your liver, man, is upside down. Did you take that medicine?
ε. 1549. Latimer, Fifth Serm. bef. Edw. VI. (Arb.), 137. Iosias … tourned al vpsydowne, he would suffer no Idolatrye to stand.
1579. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden), 73. Your delicacy would haply have delighted your self in overturning ye proverbe upsyedowne.
1601. R. Johnson, Kingd. & Commw. (1603), 19. By remaining full of French soldiers all things were turned vpsidowne.
1876. Besant & Rice, Gold. Butterfly, II. 254. It’s a story without an end, it’s a story told upsy-down.
† B. sb. An overturning. Obs.
1593. G. Harvey, Pierce’s Super., 84. A fewe resolute Aphorismes; that … roundly determine all with an Vpsy=downe, No reformation without an Vpsy-downe.
C. adj. Turned upside down; inverted.
Written with hyphen (upside-down) or as one word.
1866. G. Stephens, Runic Mon., I. 84. Another difficulty is the great number of Wend-runes, Twisted runes, Upside-down runes, and such like.
1882. Besant, All Sorts, xxviii. The same upsydown, topsy-turvy, one-sided … perverseness.
1883. W. S. Gilbert, Foggerty’s Fairy, etc. (1890), 238. She was an industrious little girl, and, as far as I could judge by her upside-down reflection, neat in her dress.
Hence Upside-downism.
1861. F. Metcalfe, Oxonian in Iceland, vii. (1867), 106. The Demons of Misrule and Upside-downism.
