to do up
Preserved but no longer current.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to do up” mean?
To repair, put in order. "This chair wants doing up," i.e. renovating. Also, to make tidy, to put up or fasten a parcel, and to wear out, tire. 'Tm quite done up," I'm worn out, exhausted. Cp. DUP.
Is “to do up” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.