turn up
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A street fight; a sudden leaving, or making off. An unexpected slice of luck. Among sporting men bookmakers are said to have a TURN UP when an unbacked horse wins.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
đấu tranh đường phố, rời đi đột ngột, may mắn bất ngờ
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “turn up” mean?
A street fight; a sudden leaving, or making off. An unexpected slice of luck. Among sporting men bookmakers are said to have a TURN UP when an unbacked horse wins.
Is “turn up” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.