"tits up" meaning in English

See tits up in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Audio: En-au-tits up.ogg
Etymology: Perhaps derives from an expired animal lying on its back, or the behaviour of aeroplanes' attitude indicators, which in some regional conventions turn upside down when faulty and display an inverted 'W' resembling a pair of breasts. Head templates: {{en-adj|-}} tits up (not comparable)
  1. (idiomatic, slang, vulgar, UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) Broken; failed; inoperable. Tags: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, idiomatic, not-comparable, slang, vulgar
    Sense id: en-tits_up-en-adj-1Rqphcj3 Categories (other): British English, Commonwealth English, Irish English, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 27 32 10 31 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 28 31 11 30 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 28 33 11 27
  2. (idiomatic, slang, vulgar, UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) Dead. Tags: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, idiomatic, not-comparable, slang, vulgar
    Sense id: en-tits_up-en-adj-PI0LdVGm Categories (other): British English, Commonwealth English, Irish English, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 27 32 10 31 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 28 31 11 30 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 28 33 11 27
  3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see tits, up. Tags: not-comparable Synonyms: tits-up, titsup
    Sense id: en-tits_up-en-adj-EDO9TBgQ Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 27 32 10 31 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 28 31 11 30 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 28 33 11 27

Verb

Audio: En-au-tits up.ogg
Etymology: Perhaps derives from an expired animal lying on its back, or the behaviour of aeroplanes' attitude indicators, which in some regional conventions turn upside down when faulty and display an inverted 'W' resembling a pair of breasts. Head templates: {{head|en|verb form}} tits up
  1. third-person singular simple present indicative of tit up Tags: form-of, indicative, present, singular, third-person Form of: tit up
    Sense id: en-tits_up-en-verb-XNPsHVZr Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 27 32 10 31 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 28 31 11 30 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 28 33 11 27

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_text": "Perhaps derives from an expired animal lying on its back, or the behaviour of aeroplanes' attitude indicators, which in some regional conventions turn upside down when faulty and display an inverted 'W' resembling a pair of breasts.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "tits up (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "British English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Commonwealth English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Irish English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "27 32 10 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 31 11 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 33 11 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1987, Nora Roberts, Daring to dream, page 157:",
          "text": "The vast majority go tits up in the first year. Basic economics, even if the people have some training and education in retail.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, Gemma Townley, The Hopeless Romantic's Handbook, page 102:",
          "text": "But believe me, sunshine, if this show goes tits up, none of us are going to come out smelling of roses.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Broken; failed; inoperable."
      ],
      "id": "en-tits_up-en-adj-1Rqphcj3",
      "links": [
        [
          "Broken",
          "broken"
        ],
        [
          "failed",
          "failed"
        ],
        [
          "inoperable",
          "inoperable"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, slang, vulgar, UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) Broken; failed; inoperable."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Commonwealth",
        "Ireland",
        "UK",
        "idiomatic",
        "not-comparable",
        "slang",
        "vulgar"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "British English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Commonwealth English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Irish English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "27 32 10 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 31 11 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 33 11 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Dead."
      ],
      "id": "en-tits_up-en-adj-PI0LdVGm",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, slang, vulgar, UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) Dead."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Commonwealth",
        "Ireland",
        "UK",
        "idiomatic",
        "not-comparable",
        "slang",
        "vulgar"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "27 32 10 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 31 11 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 33 11 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see tits, up."
      ],
      "id": "en-tits_up-en-adj-EDO9TBgQ",
      "links": [
        [
          "tits",
          "tits#English"
        ],
        [
          "up",
          "up#English"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "7 8 85",
          "word": "tits-up"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "7 8 85",
          "word": "titsup"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-tits up.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b1/En-au-tits_up.ogg/En-au-tits_up.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/En-au-tits_up.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "tits up"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "Perhaps derives from an expired animal lying on its back, or the behaviour of aeroplanes' attitude indicators, which in some regional conventions turn upside down when faulty and display an inverted 'W' resembling a pair of breasts.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "verb form"
      },
      "expansion": "tits up",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "27 32 10 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 31 11 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 33 11 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "form_of": [
        {
          "word": "tit up"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "third-person singular simple present indicative of tit up"
      ],
      "id": "en-tits_up-en-verb-XNPsHVZr",
      "links": [
        [
          "tit up",
          "tit up#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "form-of",
        "indicative",
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-tits up.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b1/En-au-tits_up.ogg/En-au-tits_up.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/En-au-tits_up.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "tits up"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English non-lemma forms",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "English verb forms",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Perhaps derives from an expired animal lying on its back, or the behaviour of aeroplanes' attitude indicators, which in some regional conventions turn upside down when faulty and display an inverted 'W' resembling a pair of breasts.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "tits up (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "British English",
        "Commonwealth English",
        "English idioms",
        "English slang",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English vulgarities",
        "Irish English",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1987, Nora Roberts, Daring to dream, page 157:",
          "text": "The vast majority go tits up in the first year. Basic economics, even if the people have some training and education in retail.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, Gemma Townley, The Hopeless Romantic's Handbook, page 102:",
          "text": "But believe me, sunshine, if this show goes tits up, none of us are going to come out smelling of roses.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Broken; failed; inoperable."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Broken",
          "broken"
        ],
        [
          "failed",
          "failed"
        ],
        [
          "inoperable",
          "inoperable"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, slang, vulgar, UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) Broken; failed; inoperable."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Commonwealth",
        "Ireland",
        "UK",
        "idiomatic",
        "not-comparable",
        "slang",
        "vulgar"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "British English",
        "Commonwealth English",
        "English idioms",
        "English slang",
        "English vulgarities",
        "Irish English"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Dead."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, slang, vulgar, UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) Dead."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Commonwealth",
        "Ireland",
        "UK",
        "idiomatic",
        "not-comparable",
        "slang",
        "vulgar"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see tits, up."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "tits",
          "tits#English"
        ],
        [
          "up",
          "up#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-tits up.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b1/En-au-tits_up.ogg/En-au-tits_up.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/En-au-tits_up.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "tits-up"
    },
    {
      "word": "titsup"
    }
  ],
  "word": "tits up"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English non-lemma forms",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "English verb forms",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Perhaps derives from an expired animal lying on its back, or the behaviour of aeroplanes' attitude indicators, which in some regional conventions turn upside down when faulty and display an inverted 'W' resembling a pair of breasts.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "verb form"
      },
      "expansion": "tits up",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "form_of": [
        {
          "word": "tit up"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "third-person singular simple present indicative of tit up"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "tit up",
          "tit up#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "form-of",
        "indicative",
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-tits up.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b1/En-au-tits_up.ogg/En-au-tits_up.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/En-au-tits_up.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "tits up"
}

Download raw JSONL data for tits up meaning in English (3.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-02-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-20 using wiktextract (05fdf6b and 9dbd323). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.