See topsy-turvy in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"derived": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "topsy-turvification"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "topsy-turvify"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "topsy-turvily"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "topsy-turviness"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "topsy-turvyness"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "topsy-turvydom"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "topsy-turvyhood"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*derbʰ-"
},
"expansion": "",
"name": "root"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "adverb"
},
"expansion": "adverb",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "adjective"
},
"expansion": "adjective",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"nocap": "1"
},
"expansion": "uncertain",
"name": "uncertain"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "obsolete"
},
"expansion": "(obsolete)",
"name": "qualifier"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "suffix"
},
"expansion": "suffix",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "",
"3": "y",
"pos2": "suffix meaning ‘having the quality of; inclined to’"
},
"expansion": "+ -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of; inclined to’)",
"name": "suffix"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "terven",
"t": "to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall"
},
"expansion": "Middle English terven (“to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "terve, tirue, tirve, tirven, tyrve, tyrwe"
},
"expansion": "[…]",
"name": "nb..."
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ang",
"3": "*tierfan"
},
"expansion": "Old English *tierfan",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ang",
"2": "tearflian",
"t": "to roll over, wallow"
},
"expansion": "Old English tearflian (“to roll over, wallow”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ang",
"3": "torfian",
"t": "to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed"
},
"expansion": "Old English torfian (“to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gem-pro",
"3": "*turbōną",
"t": "to fling, hurl"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Germanic *turbōną (“to fling, hurl”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ang",
"2": "ġetyrfian",
"t": "to assail with missiles; to assault, attack"
},
"expansion": "Old English ġetyrfian (“to assail with missiles; to assault, attack”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*derbʰ-",
"t": "to spin, twist"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *derbʰ- (“to spin, twist”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "noun"
},
"expansion": "noun",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "verb"
},
"expansion": "verb",
"name": "glossary"
}
],
"etymology_text": "The origin of the adverb and adjective are uncertain. Topsy is probably derived from top or tops, though this does not explain the -sy ending; it has been suggested that the latter comes from so (thus, top so) or from top-set or top-side, modified to match the -y ending of turvy. The term topside-turvy is mentioned in the Anglo-Irish writer Laurence Sterne’s novel, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1759–1767).Turvy is probably derived from terve, turve (“to be thrown down; to fall; to dash down; to cast, throw; to turn back or down; to fold or roll over”) (obsolete) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of; inclined to’), with turve inherited from Middle English terven (“to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall”) […], perhaps from Old English *tierfan (compare Old English tearflian (“to roll over, wallow”)) or from Old English torfian (“to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed”), from Proto-Germanic *turbōną (“to fling, hurl”), *turbijaną (“to turn, twist”) (whence Old English ġetyrfian (“to assail with missiles; to assault, attack”)), from Proto-Indo-European *derbʰ- (“to spin, twist”). Thus, the term as a whole may literally mean “having the top side thrown or turned down”.\nThe noun and verb are probably derived from the adverb and adjective.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "more topsy-turvy",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "most topsy-turvy",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"head": "topsy-turvy"
},
"expansion": "topsy-turvy (comparative more topsy-turvy, superlative most topsy-turvy)",
"name": "en-adv"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"top‧sy-turvy"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adv",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "9 13 19 22 19 4 3 8 3",
"kind": "other",
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"_dis": "11 24 18 20 16 2 1 7 2",
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{
"_dis": "13 21 19 16 15 2 2 10 2",
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"name": "Terms with Haitian Creole translations",
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{
"_dis": "13 20 19 15 16 2 1 11 2",
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"source": "w+disamb"
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{
"_dis": "11 23 19 17 17 2 1 9 2",
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"name": "Terms with Scots translations",
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"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "13 20 19 15 17 2 1 11 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "13 20 20 15 17 2 1 11 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Turkish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "[1594, Robert Garnier, translated by Thomas Kid [i.e., Thomas Kyd], Pompey the Great, His Faire Corneliaes Tragedie: […], London: […] [James Roberts] for Nicholas Ling, published 1595, →OCLC, act I, signature A2, verso:",
"text": "Thou toyl'ſt in perrill, and the vvindie ſtorme, / Doth topſide-turuey toſſe thee as thou floteſt.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "c. 1597 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The History of Henrie the Fourth; […], quarto edition, London: […] P[eter] S[hort] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1598, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:",
"text": "If we without his helpe can make a head / To puſh againſt a kingdome, with his helpe / We ſhal oreturne it topsie turuy down, [...]",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1742, John Winstanley, “A Child’s Answer to an Invitation; Done by His Father”, in Poems Written Occasionally […], Dublin: […] S. Powell, for the author, →OCLC, pages 31–32:",
"text": "China, and Ganges, and Japan, / Are Words my Papa taught my Pen. He ſays, they're Countries to be found, / In a ſtrange World, below the Ground; / Where Folks with Feet erected treat, / And diſtant, downward hang their Head; / Fearleſs they topſy turvy run, / With naught beneath—but Skies and Sun.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1749, Henry Fielding, “From which it May be Inferred, that the Best Things are Liable to be Misunderstood and Misinterpreted”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume IV, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book XII, pages 231–232:",
"text": "[A]s the Parſon told us laſt Sunday, nobody believes in the Devil now-a-days; and here you bring about a Parcel of Puppets dreſt up like Lords and Ladies, only to turn the Heads of poor Country Wenches, and when their Heads are once turned topſy turvy, no wonder every thing elſe is ſo.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1860, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “Mr Riley Gives His Advice Concerning a School for Tom”, in The Mill on the Floss […], volume I, Edinburgh, London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book I (Boy and Girl), page 35:",
"text": "[...] Maggie [...] had stolen unperceived to her father's elbow again, listening with parted lips, while she held her doll topsy-turvy, and crushed its nose against the wood of the chair— [...]",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Backwards or upside down; also, having been overturned or upset."
],
"id": "en-topsy-turvy-en-adv-Lr867Mv1",
"links": [
[
"Backwards",
"backwards"
],
[
"upside down",
"upside down"
],
[
"overturned",
"overturn#Verb"
],
[
"upset",
"upset#Verb"
]
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "inverted"
},
{
"word": "reversed"
},
{
"word": "upside down"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "s glavata nadolu",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "с главата надолу"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "nurin niskoin"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "nurin perin"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "takaperin"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "ylösalaisin"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "auf den Kopf gestellt"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "bilo-balo"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "sotto-sopra"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "sottosopra"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "de ponta-cabeça"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "ru",
"english": "upside down",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "vverx dnóm",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "вверх дно́м"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "sco",
"english": "upside down",
"lang": "Scots",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"tags": [
"also",
"figuratively"
],
"word": "tapsalteerie"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "gd",
"lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "bun-os-cionn"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "altüst"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "9 13 19 22 19 4 3 8 3",
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"_dis": "13 21 19 16 15 2 2 10 2",
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"examples": [
{
"ref": "1576, T[homas] R[ogers], “Of Loue”, in A Philosophicall Discourse, Entituled, The Anatomie of the Minde. […], London: […] I[ohn] C[harlewood] for Andrew Maunsell, […], →OCLC, folio 22, recto:",
"text": "Diuilliſh it is to deſtroy a cittie, but more then diuilliſhe, to euert citties, to betraye countreies, to cause ſeruaunts to kyll their maiſters, parentes theyr children, children their parentes, wiues their huſbandes, and to turne all things topſy turuy, and yet it doth ſo, as ſhalbe declared.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner; chaotically."
],
"id": "en-topsy-turvy-en-adv-lL7x8d~6",
"links": [
[
"natural",
"natural#Adjective"
],
[
"order",
"order#Noun"
],
[
"thing",
"thing"
],
[
"disorderly",
"disorderly"
],
[
"manner",
"manner"
],
[
"chaotically",
"chaotically"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(figurative) Not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner; chaotically."
],
"tags": [
"figuratively"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "9 91",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "v bezporjadǎk",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "в безпорядък"
},
{
"_dis1": "9 91",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "hujan hajan"
},
{
"_dis1": "9 91",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "mullin mallin"
},
{
"_dis1": "9 91",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "sekaisin"
},
{
"_dis1": "9 91",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "sikin sokin"
},
{
"_dis1": "9 91",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "vinksin vonksin"
},
{
"_dis1": "9 91",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "heikun keikun"
},
{
"_dis1": "9 91",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "chaotisch"
},
{
"_dis1": "9 91",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "unordentlich"
},
{
"_dis1": "9 91",
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "ártzi boúrtzi kai loulás",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "άρτζι μπούρτζι και λουλάς"
},
{
"_dis1": "9 91",
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "fýrdin mígdin",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "φύρδην μίγδην"
},
{
"_dis1": "9 91",
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "áno káto",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "άνω κάτω"
},
{
"_dis1": "9 91",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "kuvyrkóm",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "кувырко́м"
},
{
"_dis1": "9 91",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "šívorot-navývorot",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "ши́ворот-навы́ворот"
},
{
"_dis1": "9 91",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "caótico"
},
{
"_dis1": "9 91",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "desordenadamente"
},
{
"_dis1": "9 91",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "patas arriba"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˌtɒpsɪˈtəːvi/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈˌtɑpsiˈtɚvi/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "En-us-topsy-turvy.ogg",
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"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/En-us-topsy-turvy.ogg"
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],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"tags": [
"obsolete"
],
"word": "topside-turvy"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
"word": "topsyturvy"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "topsy turvy"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Laurence Sterne",
"The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman"
],
"word": "topsy-turvy"
}
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
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"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*derbʰ-"
},
"expansion": "",
"name": "root"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "adverb"
},
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"name": "glossary"
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{
"args": {
"1": "adjective"
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"name": "glossary"
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{
"args": {
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"nocap": "1"
},
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"name": "uncertain"
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{
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"expansion": "(obsolete)",
"name": "qualifier"
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{
"args": {
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},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "",
"3": "y",
"pos2": "suffix meaning ‘having the quality of; inclined to’"
},
"expansion": "+ -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of; inclined to’)",
"name": "suffix"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "terven",
"t": "to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall"
},
"expansion": "Middle English terven (“to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "terve, tirue, tirve, tirven, tyrve, tyrwe"
},
"expansion": "[…]",
"name": "nb..."
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ang",
"3": "*tierfan"
},
"expansion": "Old English *tierfan",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ang",
"2": "tearflian",
"t": "to roll over, wallow"
},
"expansion": "Old English tearflian (“to roll over, wallow”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ang",
"3": "torfian",
"t": "to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed"
},
"expansion": "Old English torfian (“to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gem-pro",
"3": "*turbōną",
"t": "to fling, hurl"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Germanic *turbōną (“to fling, hurl”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ang",
"2": "ġetyrfian",
"t": "to assail with missiles; to assault, attack"
},
"expansion": "Old English ġetyrfian (“to assail with missiles; to assault, attack”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*derbʰ-",
"t": "to spin, twist"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *derbʰ- (“to spin, twist”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "noun"
},
"expansion": "noun",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "verb"
},
"expansion": "verb",
"name": "glossary"
}
],
"etymology_text": "The origin of the adverb and adjective are uncertain. Topsy is probably derived from top or tops, though this does not explain the -sy ending; it has been suggested that the latter comes from so (thus, top so) or from top-set or top-side, modified to match the -y ending of turvy. The term topside-turvy is mentioned in the Anglo-Irish writer Laurence Sterne’s novel, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1759–1767).Turvy is probably derived from terve, turve (“to be thrown down; to fall; to dash down; to cast, throw; to turn back or down; to fold or roll over”) (obsolete) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of; inclined to’), with turve inherited from Middle English terven (“to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall”) […], perhaps from Old English *tierfan (compare Old English tearflian (“to roll over, wallow”)) or from Old English torfian (“to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed”), from Proto-Germanic *turbōną (“to fling, hurl”), *turbijaną (“to turn, twist”) (whence Old English ġetyrfian (“to assail with missiles; to assault, attack”)), from Proto-Indo-European *derbʰ- (“to spin, twist”). Thus, the term as a whole may literally mean “having the top side thrown or turned down”.\nThe noun and verb are probably derived from the adverb and adjective.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "topsy-turvier",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "topsy-turviest",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "er",
"head": "topsy-turvy"
},
"expansion": "topsy-turvy (comparative topsy-turvier, superlative topsy-turviest)",
"name": "en-adj"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"top‧sy-turvy"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adj",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "11 15 21 16 18 2 4 10 4",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "11 24 18 20 16 2 1 7 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Danish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "13 21 19 16 15 2 2 10 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Haitian Creole translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "13 20 19 15 16 2 1 11 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Maori translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "11 23 19 17 17 2 1 9 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Scots translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "13 20 19 15 17 2 1 11 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "13 20 20 15 17 2 1 11 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Turkish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1700, [William] Congreve, The Way of the World, a Comedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act IV, scene x, pages 63–64:",
"text": "If I travel Aunt, I touch at your Antipodes—your Antipodes are a good raſcally ſort of topſy turvy Fellows—If I had a Bumper I'd ſtand upon my Head and drink a Health to ’em— [...]",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1934 October, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], Burmese Days, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, →OCLC; republished as chapter 3, in Burmese Days (ebook no. 0200051h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, November 2015:",
"text": "This argument, vaguely political in nature, took place as often as the two men met. It was a topsy-turvy affair, for the Englishman was bitterly anti-English and the Indian fanatically loyal.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Backwards or upside down."
],
"id": "en-topsy-turvy-en-adj-FAie6YvJ",
"links": [
[
"Backwards",
"backwards"
],
[
"upside down",
"upside down"
]
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "inverted"
},
{
"word": "reversed"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "på hovedet"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "achterstevoren"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "ondersteboven"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "nurinkurinen"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "takaperoinen"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "à l’envers"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "sens dessus dessous"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "gl",
"lang": "Galician",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "ao revés"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "auf den Kopf gestellt"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "kopfstehend"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "ht",
"lang": "Haitian Creole",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "tèt anba"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "sottosopra"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "nb",
"lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "omkalfatret"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "sco",
"english": "upside down",
"lang": "Scots",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"tags": [
"also",
"figuratively"
],
"word": "tapsalteerie"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "gd",
"lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "turrach-air-tharrach"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "sk",
"lang": "Slovak",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "hore nohami"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "sk",
"lang": "Slovak",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "naopak"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "al revés"
},
{
"_dis1": "98 2",
"code": "ta",
"lang": "Tamil",
"roman": "mēlum kīḻum",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "மேலும் கீழும்"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "9 13 19 22 19 4 3 8 3",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "4 24 17 18 21 5 2 5 4",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English reduplications",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "6 22 15 18 18 7 3 7 6",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English terms suffixed with -y",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "11 15 21 16 18 2 4 10 4",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "10 20 20 20 19 2 1 6 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "10 24 19 17 15 2 2 9 3",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "11 24 18 20 16 2 1 7 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Danish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "4 29 16 19 15 3 2 6 6",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "9 24 18 18 15 2 2 8 3",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "5 27 16 21 15 3 1 6 5",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with French translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "9 24 18 18 15 2 2 8 3",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Galician translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "6 28 17 20 16 3 2 6 3",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with German translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "8 25 16 17 12 4 5 8 5",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Greek translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "13 21 19 16 15 2 2 10 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Haitian Creole translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "3 31 16 23 16 3 2 4 4",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Italian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "13 20 19 15 16 2 1 11 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Maori translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "10 23 18 17 16 2 2 9 3",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "11 25 17 17 16 2 1 9 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "3 31 16 23 16 3 2 4 4",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Russian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "11 23 19 17 17 2 1 9 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Scots translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "13 20 19 15 17 2 1 11 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "9 27 17 18 15 2 2 8 3",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Slovak translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "7 32 17 20 15 2 1 3 3",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "10 26 18 17 15 2 1 9 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Tamil translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "13 20 20 15 17 2 1 11 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Turkish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1675, William Penn, “The Ground or Reason of Swearing”, in A Treatise of Oaths, Containing Several Weighty Reasons why the People Call’d Quakers Refuse to Swear: […], [London]: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 10:",
"text": "[John] Chrysostom saith, An Oath came in when Evils increased, when men appeared unfaithful, when all things became Topsy Turvy.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "[1872, [William] Wilkie Collins, “Lucilla’s Journal, Concluded”, in Poor Miss Finch. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley and Son, →OCLC, 2nd part, page 160:",
"text": "You have not kept her comfortable-easy. Something has turned her poor little mind topsy-turvies.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2020 June 3, Stefanie Foster, “Comment: The Recovery Starts here”, in Rail, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 3:",
"text": "It feels like I've stepped through the looking glass and am wandering in a topsy-turvy world where the fixpoints we have lived with for decades have gone. Not just moved … gone.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Chaotic; disorderly."
],
"id": "en-topsy-turvy-en-adj-DPcUfsAK",
"links": [
[
"Chaotic",
"chaotic"
],
[
"disorderly",
"disorderly"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(figurative) Chaotic; disorderly."
],
"tags": [
"figuratively"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "6 94",
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "kaotisk"
},
{
"_dis1": "6 94",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "chaotisch"
},
{
"_dis1": "6 94",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "wanordelijk"
},
{
"_dis1": "6 94",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "sekava"
},
{
"_dis1": "6 94",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "sotkuinen"
},
{
"_dis1": "6 94",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "sens dessus dessous"
},
{
"_dis1": "6 94",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "chaotisch"
},
{
"_dis1": "6 94",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "unordentlich"
},
{
"_dis1": "6 94",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "sottosopra"
},
{
"_dis1": "6 94",
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "kaumingomingo"
},
{
"_dis1": "6 94",
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "kōhangaweka"
},
{
"_dis1": "6 94",
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "tīraurau"
},
{
"_dis1": "6 94",
"code": "gd",
"lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "rù-rà"
},
{
"_dis1": "6 94",
"code": "sk",
"lang": "Slovak",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "domotaný"
},
{
"_dis1": "6 94",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "caotico"
},
{
"_dis1": "6 94",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "desordenado"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˌtɒpsɪˈtəːvi/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈˌtɑpsiˈtɚvi/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "En-us-topsy-turvy.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3a/En-us-topsy-turvy.ogg/En-us-topsy-turvy.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/En-us-topsy-turvy.ogg"
},
{
"audio": "En-au-topsy turvy.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e1/En-au-topsy_turvy.ogg/En-au-topsy_turvy.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/En-au-topsy_turvy.ogg"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
"word": "topsyturvy"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "topsy turvy"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
"word": "topsy-turvey"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Laurence Sterne",
"The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman"
],
"word": "topsy-turvy"
}
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*derbʰ-"
},
"expansion": "",
"name": "root"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "adverb"
},
"expansion": "adverb",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "adjective"
},
"expansion": "adjective",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"nocap": "1"
},
"expansion": "uncertain",
"name": "uncertain"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "obsolete"
},
"expansion": "(obsolete)",
"name": "qualifier"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "suffix"
},
"expansion": "suffix",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "",
"3": "y",
"pos2": "suffix meaning ‘having the quality of; inclined to’"
},
"expansion": "+ -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of; inclined to’)",
"name": "suffix"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "terven",
"t": "to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall"
},
"expansion": "Middle English terven (“to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "terve, tirue, tirve, tirven, tyrve, tyrwe"
},
"expansion": "[…]",
"name": "nb..."
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ang",
"3": "*tierfan"
},
"expansion": "Old English *tierfan",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ang",
"2": "tearflian",
"t": "to roll over, wallow"
},
"expansion": "Old English tearflian (“to roll over, wallow”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ang",
"3": "torfian",
"t": "to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed"
},
"expansion": "Old English torfian (“to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gem-pro",
"3": "*turbōną",
"t": "to fling, hurl"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Germanic *turbōną (“to fling, hurl”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ang",
"2": "ġetyrfian",
"t": "to assail with missiles; to assault, attack"
},
"expansion": "Old English ġetyrfian (“to assail with missiles; to assault, attack”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*derbʰ-",
"t": "to spin, twist"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *derbʰ- (“to spin, twist”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "noun"
},
"expansion": "noun",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "verb"
},
"expansion": "verb",
"name": "glossary"
}
],
"etymology_text": "The origin of the adverb and adjective are uncertain. Topsy is probably derived from top or tops, though this does not explain the -sy ending; it has been suggested that the latter comes from so (thus, top so) or from top-set or top-side, modified to match the -y ending of turvy. The term topside-turvy is mentioned in the Anglo-Irish writer Laurence Sterne’s novel, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1759–1767).Turvy is probably derived from terve, turve (“to be thrown down; to fall; to dash down; to cast, throw; to turn back or down; to fold or roll over”) (obsolete) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of; inclined to’), with turve inherited from Middle English terven (“to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall”) […], perhaps from Old English *tierfan (compare Old English tearflian (“to roll over, wallow”)) or from Old English torfian (“to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed”), from Proto-Germanic *turbōną (“to fling, hurl”), *turbijaną (“to turn, twist”) (whence Old English ġetyrfian (“to assail with missiles; to assault, attack”)), from Proto-Indo-European *derbʰ- (“to spin, twist”). Thus, the term as a whole may literally mean “having the top side thrown or turned down”.\nThe noun and verb are probably derived from the adverb and adjective.",
"forms": [
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{
"ref": "1850, [Warren Burton], “Augustus Starr, the Privateer who Turned Pedagogue—His New Crew Mutiny, and Perform a Singular Exploit”, in The District School as It Was. […], revised edition, Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson and Company, […], →OCLC, page 159:",
"text": "Perhaps he was at a loss for the points of compass, as is often the case in tumbles and topsy-turvies.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
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],
"id": "en-topsy-turvy-en-noun-UG8sPkU5",
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[
"act",
"act#Noun"
],
[
"turning",
"turn#Verb"
],
[
"backwards",
"backwards"
],
[
"upside down",
"upside down"
],
[
"situation",
"situation"
],
[
"happen",
"happen"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(countable) An act of turning something backwards or upside down, or the situation that something is in after this has happened."
],
"tags": [
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]
},
{
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"examples": [
{
"ref": "1849, C[alvin] H[enderson] Wiley, “Boyish Conversation”, in Roanoke; or, “Where is Utopia?” […], Philadelphia, Pa.: T. B. Peterson & Brothers, […], published 1866, →OCLC, pages 110–111:",
"text": "[I ...] has seed a heap of scatterments and topsyturvies: here's hoping dat you all may swim smoofly along the briny waves of sacrificin' time, and ford the Jordan of destructive equinoxes, while fiery billows roll beneath!",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2006, Sue Robson, “Language, Communication and Thought”, in Developing Thinking and Understanding in Young Children: An Introduction for Students, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 114:",
"text": "The best-known examples of children’s nonsense language play, and their ‘topsy turvies’, or inversion of reality, are in Chukovsky, who asserts that such topsy turvies ‘strengthen (not weaken) the child’s awareness of reality’ [...].",
"type": "quote"
}
],
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],
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[
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]
],
"raw_glosses": [
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],
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{
"_dis1": "10 90 0",
"code": "bg",
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}
]
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"ref": "[1879], George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “[Impressions of Theophrastus Such.] Debasing the Moral Currency.”, in Impressions of Theophrastus Such, Essays and Leaves from a Note-book, Edinburgh, London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, page 97:",
"text": "Why should we [...] use it [our sense of the ludicrous] to degrade the healthy appetites and affections of our nature as they are seen to be degraded in insane patients whose system, all out of joint, finds matter for screaming laughter in mere topsy-turvy, [...?]",
"type": "quote"
}
],
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],
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"etymology_text": "The origin of the adverb and adjective are uncertain. Topsy is probably derived from top or tops, though this does not explain the -sy ending; it has been suggested that the latter comes from so (thus, top so) or from top-set or top-side, modified to match the -y ending of turvy. The term topside-turvy is mentioned in the Anglo-Irish writer Laurence Sterne’s novel, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1759–1767).Turvy is probably derived from terve, turve (“to be thrown down; to fall; to dash down; to cast, throw; to turn back or down; to fold or roll over”) (obsolete) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of; inclined to’), with turve inherited from Middle English terven (“to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall”) […], perhaps from Old English *tierfan (compare Old English tearflian (“to roll over, wallow”)) or from Old English torfian (“to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed”), from Proto-Germanic *turbōną (“to fling, hurl”), *turbijaną (“to turn, twist”) (whence Old English ġetyrfian (“to assail with missiles; to assault, attack”)), from Proto-Indo-European *derbʰ- (“to spin, twist”). Thus, the term as a whole may literally mean “having the top side thrown or turned down”.\nThe noun and verb are probably derived from the adverb and adjective.",
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"ref": "1859 July, “Art. IX.—1. Adam Bede. By George Eliot. 3 vols. 1859. 2. Scenes of Clerical Life. By George Eliot. 2 vols. 1858. [book review]”, in The Edinburgh Review, or Critical Journal, volume CX, number CCXXIII, London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts; Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, →OCLC, page 241:",
"text": "Mr. [George] Eliot's descriptions of scenery are perfect: [...] and so are his descriptions of children. [...] We forbear (though with regret) the introduction to our readers of Totty's bald doll, ignominously ‘topsy turvied’ by her insulting brother.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2017, Jai Krishna, “High-resolution Intrabasinal to Inter-regional Geodynamic Chronicle during the Span of the Intra-Permian–Intra-Paleogene Mega-sequence in and around India on the GTM”, in The Indian Mesozoic Chronicle: Sequence Stratigraphic Approach (Springer Geology), Singapore: Springer Nature, →DOI, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 586:",
"text": "The already lithified/hardened late Early/early Middle Oxfordian chunks/slabs of the oolitic limestones fragmented and rotated, even topsy-turvied upside down in the repetitive violent/explosive shake ups.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
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],
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{
"ref": "[1854], G[eorge] E[liel] Sargent, “How the Legacy Went. In Two Chapters.”, in Moralities for Home, London: Groombridge and Sons. […], →OCLC, chapter II (How It Departed), page 148:",
"text": "[...] Mrs. Sykes said, ‘her man was the wust she ever knowed when he got topsy-turveyed.’ And as now, he began to get topsy-turveyed pretty regularly before he had finished his daily business with the retiring host of the Holly Bush, there was not much peace at home.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1858 July–December, J. A., “Prose versus Verse”, in The New Monthly Belle Assemblée; a Magazine of Literature and Fashion, […], volume XLIX, London: Rogerson and Tuxford, […], →OCLC, page 188, column 1:",
"text": "Has not a diluent expletive been interjected to fill up a line? has not a plain proposition been topsy-turvied, till subject and object are miserably confused, because of accent?",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1865, Thomas Carlyle, “The Campaign Opens”, in History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great, volume V, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, book XVIII, page 16:",
"text": "It is one among their many greater advantages from this surprisal of the enemy, and sudden topsy-turvying of his plans.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1892, M[aurice] O’Connor Morris, “Introduction”, in Memini: Or Reminiscences of Irish Life, London: Harrison & Sons, […], →OCLC, page ix:",
"text": "[M]y literary life was rather topsy-turveyed by a couple of untoward accidents last year, and a prostrating attack of influenza, and bronchitis subsequently, for the cure of which I am indebted to the climate of Portugal, [...]",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2007, “Portrayal of Diaspora Experiences”, in Basavaraj Naikar, editor, Indian English Literature, volume II, New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, →ISBN, page 195:",
"text": "Being from a lower caste, she earns her meager livelihood by cleaning the stairs and guarding the locality (the conventional roles are topsy turvyed).",
"type": "quote"
}
],
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],
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"Terms with Italian translations",
"Terms with Maori translations",
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"Terms with Russian translations",
"Terms with Scots translations",
"Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations",
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "terven",
"t": "to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall"
},
"expansion": "Middle English terven (“to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "terve, tirue, tirve, tirven, tyrve, tyrwe"
},
"expansion": "[…]",
"name": "nb..."
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ang",
"3": "*tierfan"
},
"expansion": "Old English *tierfan",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ang",
"2": "tearflian",
"t": "to roll over, wallow"
},
"expansion": "Old English tearflian (“to roll over, wallow”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ang",
"3": "torfian",
"t": "to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed"
},
"expansion": "Old English torfian (“to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gem-pro",
"3": "*turbōną",
"t": "to fling, hurl"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Germanic *turbōną (“to fling, hurl”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ang",
"2": "ġetyrfian",
"t": "to assail with missiles; to assault, attack"
},
"expansion": "Old English ġetyrfian (“to assail with missiles; to assault, attack”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*derbʰ-",
"t": "to spin, twist"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *derbʰ- (“to spin, twist”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "noun"
},
"expansion": "noun",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "verb"
},
"expansion": "verb",
"name": "glossary"
}
],
"etymology_text": "The origin of the adverb and adjective are uncertain. Topsy is probably derived from top or tops, though this does not explain the -sy ending; it has been suggested that the latter comes from so (thus, top so) or from top-set or top-side, modified to match the -y ending of turvy. The term topside-turvy is mentioned in the Anglo-Irish writer Laurence Sterne’s novel, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1759–1767).Turvy is probably derived from terve, turve (“to be thrown down; to fall; to dash down; to cast, throw; to turn back or down; to fold or roll over”) (obsolete) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of; inclined to’), with turve inherited from Middle English terven (“to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall”) […], perhaps from Old English *tierfan (compare Old English tearflian (“to roll over, wallow”)) or from Old English torfian (“to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed”), from Proto-Germanic *turbōną (“to fling, hurl”), *turbijaną (“to turn, twist”) (whence Old English ġetyrfian (“to assail with missiles; to assault, attack”)), from Proto-Indo-European *derbʰ- (“to spin, twist”). Thus, the term as a whole may literally mean “having the top side thrown or turned down”.\nThe noun and verb are probably derived from the adverb and adjective.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "more topsy-turvy",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "most topsy-turvy",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"head": "topsy-turvy"
},
"expansion": "topsy-turvy (comparative more topsy-turvy, superlative most topsy-turvy)",
"name": "en-adv"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"top‧sy-turvy"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adv",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "[1594, Robert Garnier, translated by Thomas Kid [i.e., Thomas Kyd], Pompey the Great, His Faire Corneliaes Tragedie: […], London: […] [James Roberts] for Nicholas Ling, published 1595, →OCLC, act I, signature A2, verso:",
"text": "Thou toyl'ſt in perrill, and the vvindie ſtorme, / Doth topſide-turuey toſſe thee as thou floteſt.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "c. 1597 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The History of Henrie the Fourth; […], quarto edition, London: […] P[eter] S[hort] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1598, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:",
"text": "If we without his helpe can make a head / To puſh againſt a kingdome, with his helpe / We ſhal oreturne it topsie turuy down, [...]",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1742, John Winstanley, “A Child’s Answer to an Invitation; Done by His Father”, in Poems Written Occasionally […], Dublin: […] S. Powell, for the author, →OCLC, pages 31–32:",
"text": "China, and Ganges, and Japan, / Are Words my Papa taught my Pen. He ſays, they're Countries to be found, / In a ſtrange World, below the Ground; / Where Folks with Feet erected treat, / And diſtant, downward hang their Head; / Fearleſs they topſy turvy run, / With naught beneath—but Skies and Sun.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1749, Henry Fielding, “From which it May be Inferred, that the Best Things are Liable to be Misunderstood and Misinterpreted”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume IV, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book XII, pages 231–232:",
"text": "[A]s the Parſon told us laſt Sunday, nobody believes in the Devil now-a-days; and here you bring about a Parcel of Puppets dreſt up like Lords and Ladies, only to turn the Heads of poor Country Wenches, and when their Heads are once turned topſy turvy, no wonder every thing elſe is ſo.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1860, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “Mr Riley Gives His Advice Concerning a School for Tom”, in The Mill on the Floss […], volume I, Edinburgh, London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book I (Boy and Girl), page 35:",
"text": "[...] Maggie [...] had stolen unperceived to her father's elbow again, listening with parted lips, while she held her doll topsy-turvy, and crushed its nose against the wood of the chair— [...]",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Backwards or upside down; also, having been overturned or upset."
],
"links": [
[
"Backwards",
"backwards"
],
[
"upside down",
"upside down"
],
[
"overturned",
"overturn#Verb"
],
[
"upset",
"upset#Verb"
]
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "inverted"
},
{
"word": "reversed"
},
{
"word": "upside down"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1576, T[homas] R[ogers], “Of Loue”, in A Philosophicall Discourse, Entituled, The Anatomie of the Minde. […], London: […] I[ohn] C[harlewood] for Andrew Maunsell, […], →OCLC, folio 22, recto:",
"text": "Diuilliſh it is to deſtroy a cittie, but more then diuilliſhe, to euert citties, to betraye countreies, to cause ſeruaunts to kyll their maiſters, parentes theyr children, children their parentes, wiues their huſbandes, and to turne all things topſy turuy, and yet it doth ſo, as ſhalbe declared.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner; chaotically."
],
"links": [
[
"natural",
"natural#Adjective"
],
[
"order",
"order#Noun"
],
[
"thing",
"thing"
],
[
"disorderly",
"disorderly"
],
[
"manner",
"manner"
],
[
"chaotically",
"chaotically"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(figurative) Not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner; chaotically."
],
"tags": [
"figuratively"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˌtɒpsɪˈtəːvi/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈˌtɑpsiˈtɚvi/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "En-us-topsy-turvy.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3a/En-us-topsy-turvy.ogg/En-us-topsy-turvy.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/En-us-topsy-turvy.ogg"
},
{
"audio": "En-au-topsy turvy.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e1/En-au-topsy_turvy.ogg/En-au-topsy_turvy.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/En-au-topsy_turvy.ogg"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"tags": [
"obsolete"
],
"word": "topside-turvy"
},
{
"word": "topsyturvy"
},
{
"word": "topsy turvy"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "s glavata nadolu",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "с главата надолу"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "nurin niskoin"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "nurin perin"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "takaperin"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "ylösalaisin"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "auf den Kopf gestellt"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "bilo-balo"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "sotto-sopra"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "sottosopra"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "de ponta-cabeça"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"english": "upside down",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "vverx dnóm",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "вверх дно́м"
},
{
"code": "sco",
"english": "upside down",
"lang": "Scots",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"tags": [
"also",
"figuratively"
],
"word": "tapsalteerie"
},
{
"code": "gd",
"lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "bun-os-cionn"
},
{
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "altüst"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "v bezporjadǎk",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "в безпорядък"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "hujan hajan"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "mullin mallin"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "sekaisin"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "sikin sokin"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "vinksin vonksin"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "heikun keikun"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "chaotisch"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "unordentlich"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "ártzi boúrtzi kai loulás",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "άρτζι μπούρτζι και λουλάς"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "fýrdin mígdin",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "φύρδην μίγδην"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "áno káto",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "άνω κάτω"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "kuvyrkóm",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "кувырко́м"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "šívorot-navývorot",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "ши́ворот-навы́ворот"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "caótico"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "desordenadamente"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "not in the natural order of things; in a disorderly manner — see also chaotically",
"word": "patas arriba"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Laurence Sterne",
"The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman"
],
"word": "topsy-turvy"
}
{
"categories": [
"English adjectives",
"English adverbs",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English nouns",
"English reduplications",
"English terms derived from Middle English",
"English terms derived from Old English",
"English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
"English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
"English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *derbʰ-",
"English terms inherited from Middle English",
"English terms inherited from Old English",
"English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
"English terms suffixed with -y",
"English terms with redundant head parameter",
"English terms with unknown etymologies",
"English uncountable nouns",
"English verbs",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Terms with Bulgarian translations",
"Terms with Danish translations",
"Terms with Dutch translations",
"Terms with Finnish translations",
"Terms with French translations",
"Terms with Galician translations",
"Terms with German translations",
"Terms with Greek translations",
"Terms with Haitian Creole translations",
"Terms with Italian translations",
"Terms with Maori translations",
"Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
"Terms with Portuguese translations",
"Terms with Russian translations",
"Terms with Scots translations",
"Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations",
"Terms with Slovak translations",
"Terms with Spanish translations",
"Terms with Tamil translations",
"Terms with Turkish translations"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*derbʰ-"
},
"expansion": "",
"name": "root"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "adverb"
},
"expansion": "adverb",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "adjective"
},
"expansion": "adjective",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"nocap": "1"
},
"expansion": "uncertain",
"name": "uncertain"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "obsolete"
},
"expansion": "(obsolete)",
"name": "qualifier"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "suffix"
},
"expansion": "suffix",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "",
"3": "y",
"pos2": "suffix meaning ‘having the quality of; inclined to’"
},
"expansion": "+ -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of; inclined to’)",
"name": "suffix"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "terven",
"t": "to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall"
},
"expansion": "Middle English terven (“to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "terve, tirue, tirve, tirven, tyrve, tyrwe"
},
"expansion": "[…]",
"name": "nb..."
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ang",
"3": "*tierfan"
},
"expansion": "Old English *tierfan",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ang",
"2": "tearflian",
"t": "to roll over, wallow"
},
"expansion": "Old English tearflian (“to roll over, wallow”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ang",
"3": "torfian",
"t": "to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed"
},
"expansion": "Old English torfian (“to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gem-pro",
"3": "*turbōną",
"t": "to fling, hurl"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Germanic *turbōną (“to fling, hurl”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ang",
"2": "ġetyrfian",
"t": "to assail with missiles; to assault, attack"
},
"expansion": "Old English ġetyrfian (“to assail with missiles; to assault, attack”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*derbʰ-",
"t": "to spin, twist"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *derbʰ- (“to spin, twist”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "noun"
},
"expansion": "noun",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "verb"
},
"expansion": "verb",
"name": "glossary"
}
],
"etymology_text": "The origin of the adverb and adjective are uncertain. Topsy is probably derived from top or tops, though this does not explain the -sy ending; it has been suggested that the latter comes from so (thus, top so) or from top-set or top-side, modified to match the -y ending of turvy. The term topside-turvy is mentioned in the Anglo-Irish writer Laurence Sterne’s novel, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1759–1767).Turvy is probably derived from terve, turve (“to be thrown down; to fall; to dash down; to cast, throw; to turn back or down; to fold or roll over”) (obsolete) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of; inclined to’), with turve inherited from Middle English terven (“to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall”) […], perhaps from Old English *tierfan (compare Old English tearflian (“to roll over, wallow”)) or from Old English torfian (“to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed”), from Proto-Germanic *turbōną (“to fling, hurl”), *turbijaną (“to turn, twist”) (whence Old English ġetyrfian (“to assail with missiles; to assault, attack”)), from Proto-Indo-European *derbʰ- (“to spin, twist”). Thus, the term as a whole may literally mean “having the top side thrown or turned down”.\nThe noun and verb are probably derived from the adverb and adjective.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "topsy-turvier",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "topsy-turviest",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "er",
"head": "topsy-turvy"
},
"expansion": "topsy-turvy (comparative topsy-turvier, superlative topsy-turviest)",
"name": "en-adj"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"top‧sy-turvy"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adj",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1700, [William] Congreve, The Way of the World, a Comedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act IV, scene x, pages 63–64:",
"text": "If I travel Aunt, I touch at your Antipodes—your Antipodes are a good raſcally ſort of topſy turvy Fellows—If I had a Bumper I'd ſtand upon my Head and drink a Health to ’em— [...]",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1934 October, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], Burmese Days, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, →OCLC; republished as chapter 3, in Burmese Days (ebook no. 0200051h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, November 2015:",
"text": "This argument, vaguely political in nature, took place as often as the two men met. It was a topsy-turvy affair, for the Englishman was bitterly anti-English and the Indian fanatically loyal.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Backwards or upside down."
],
"links": [
[
"Backwards",
"backwards"
],
[
"upside down",
"upside down"
]
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "inverted"
},
{
"word": "reversed"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1675, William Penn, “The Ground or Reason of Swearing”, in A Treatise of Oaths, Containing Several Weighty Reasons why the People Call’d Quakers Refuse to Swear: […], [London]: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 10:",
"text": "[John] Chrysostom saith, An Oath came in when Evils increased, when men appeared unfaithful, when all things became Topsy Turvy.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "[1872, [William] Wilkie Collins, “Lucilla’s Journal, Concluded”, in Poor Miss Finch. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley and Son, →OCLC, 2nd part, page 160:",
"text": "You have not kept her comfortable-easy. Something has turned her poor little mind topsy-turvies.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2020 June 3, Stefanie Foster, “Comment: The Recovery Starts here”, in Rail, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 3:",
"text": "It feels like I've stepped through the looking glass and am wandering in a topsy-turvy world where the fixpoints we have lived with for decades have gone. Not just moved … gone.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Chaotic; disorderly."
],
"links": [
[
"Chaotic",
"chaotic"
],
[
"disorderly",
"disorderly"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(figurative) Chaotic; disorderly."
],
"tags": [
"figuratively"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˌtɒpsɪˈtəːvi/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈˌtɑpsiˈtɚvi/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
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"synonyms": [
{
"word": "topsy-turvey"
},
{
"word": "topsyturvy"
},
{
"word": "topsy turvy"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "på hovedet"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "achterstevoren"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "ondersteboven"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "nurinkurinen"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "takaperoinen"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "à l’envers"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "sens dessus dessous"
},
{
"code": "gl",
"lang": "Galician",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "ao revés"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "auf den Kopf gestellt"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "kopfstehend"
},
{
"code": "ht",
"lang": "Haitian Creole",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "tèt anba"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "sottosopra"
},
{
"code": "nb",
"lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "omkalfatret"
},
{
"code": "sco",
"english": "upside down",
"lang": "Scots",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"tags": [
"also",
"figuratively"
],
"word": "tapsalteerie"
},
{
"code": "gd",
"lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "turrach-air-tharrach"
},
{
"code": "sk",
"lang": "Slovak",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "hore nohami"
},
{
"code": "sk",
"lang": "Slovak",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "naopak"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "al revés"
},
{
"code": "ta",
"lang": "Tamil",
"roman": "mēlum kīḻum",
"sense": "backwards or upside down",
"word": "மேலும் கீழும்"
},
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "kaotisk"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "chaotisch"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "wanordelijk"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "sekava"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "sotkuinen"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "sens dessus dessous"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "chaotisch"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "unordentlich"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "sottosopra"
},
{
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "kaumingomingo"
},
{
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "kōhangaweka"
},
{
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "tīraurau"
},
{
"code": "gd",
"lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "rù-rà"
},
{
"code": "sk",
"lang": "Slovak",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "domotaný"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "caotico"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "chaotic, disorderly — see also chaotic, disorderly",
"word": "desordenado"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Laurence Sterne",
"The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman"
],
"word": "topsy-turvy"
}
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"English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
"English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
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"Terms with Finnish translations",
"Terms with French translations",
"Terms with Galician translations",
"Terms with German translations",
"Terms with Greek translations",
"Terms with Haitian Creole translations",
"Terms with Italian translations",
"Terms with Maori translations",
"Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
"Terms with Portuguese translations",
"Terms with Russian translations",
"Terms with Scots translations",
"Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations",
"Terms with Slovak translations",
"Terms with Spanish translations",
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"expansion": "Middle English terven (“to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall”)",
"name": "inh"
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{
"args": {
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"args": {
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"args": {
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"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
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"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
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"name": "cog"
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"etymology_text": "The origin of the adverb and adjective are uncertain. Topsy is probably derived from top or tops, though this does not explain the -sy ending; it has been suggested that the latter comes from so (thus, top so) or from top-set or top-side, modified to match the -y ending of turvy. The term topside-turvy is mentioned in the Anglo-Irish writer Laurence Sterne’s novel, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1759–1767).Turvy is probably derived from terve, turve (“to be thrown down; to fall; to dash down; to cast, throw; to turn back or down; to fold or roll over”) (obsolete) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of; inclined to’), with turve inherited from Middle English terven (“to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall”) […], perhaps from Old English *tierfan (compare Old English tearflian (“to roll over, wallow”)) or from Old English torfian (“to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed”), from Proto-Germanic *turbōną (“to fling, hurl”), *turbijaną (“to turn, twist”) (whence Old English ġetyrfian (“to assail with missiles; to assault, attack”)), from Proto-Indo-European *derbʰ- (“to spin, twist”). Thus, the term as a whole may literally mean “having the top side thrown or turned down”.\nThe noun and verb are probably derived from the adverb and adjective.",
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}
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{
"ref": "1850, [Warren Burton], “Augustus Starr, the Privateer who Turned Pedagogue—His New Crew Mutiny, and Perform a Singular Exploit”, in The District School as It Was. […], revised edition, Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson and Company, […], →OCLC, page 159:",
"text": "Perhaps he was at a loss for the points of compass, as is often the case in tumbles and topsy-turvies.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"An act of turning something backwards or upside down, or the situation that something is in after this has happened."
],
"links": [
[
"act",
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],
[
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"turn#Verb"
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"backwards"
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],
[
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[
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],
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],
"tags": [
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]
},
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"examples": [
{
"ref": "1849, C[alvin] H[enderson] Wiley, “Boyish Conversation”, in Roanoke; or, “Where is Utopia?” […], Philadelphia, Pa.: T. B. Peterson & Brothers, […], published 1866, →OCLC, pages 110–111:",
"text": "[I ...] has seed a heap of scatterments and topsyturvies: here's hoping dat you all may swim smoofly along the briny waves of sacrificin' time, and ford the Jordan of destructive equinoxes, while fiery billows roll beneath!",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2006, Sue Robson, “Language, Communication and Thought”, in Developing Thinking and Understanding in Young Children: An Introduction for Students, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 114:",
"text": "The best-known examples of children’s nonsense language play, and their ‘topsy turvies’, or inversion of reality, are in Chukovsky, who asserts that such topsy turvies ‘strengthen (not weaken) the child’s awareness of reality’ [...].",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
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],
"links": [
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[
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],
"raw_glosses": [
"(countable, figurative) A situation where the natural order of things has been upset."
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"tags": [
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},
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"categories": [
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{
"ref": "[1879], George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “[Impressions of Theophrastus Such.] Debasing the Moral Currency.”, in Impressions of Theophrastus Such, Essays and Leaves from a Note-book, Edinburgh, London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, page 97:",
"text": "Why should we [...] use it [our sense of the ludicrous] to degrade the healthy appetites and affections of our nature as they are seen to be degraded in insane patients whose system, all out of joint, finds matter for screaming laughter in mere topsy-turvy, [...?]",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
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],
"links": [
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"(uncountable, figurative) Chaos, confusion, disorder."
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"word": "topsy-turvied"
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}
],
"etymology_text": "The origin of the adverb and adjective are uncertain. Topsy is probably derived from top or tops, though this does not explain the -sy ending; it has been suggested that the latter comes from so (thus, top so) or from top-set or top-side, modified to match the -y ending of turvy. The term topside-turvy is mentioned in the Anglo-Irish writer Laurence Sterne’s novel, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1759–1767).Turvy is probably derived from terve, turve (“to be thrown down; to fall; to dash down; to cast, throw; to turn back or down; to fold or roll over”) (obsolete) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of; inclined to’), with turve inherited from Middle English terven (“to throw (something) down; to throw (something) into confusion; to level; to resort or turn (to something); to go, move; to turn; to collapse, fall”) […], perhaps from Old English *tierfan (compare Old English tearflian (“to roll over, wallow”)) or from Old English torfian (“to launch, throw; to shoot missiles at; to stone; to be tossed”), from Proto-Germanic *turbōną (“to fling, hurl”), *turbijaną (“to turn, twist”) (whence Old English ġetyrfian (“to assail with missiles; to assault, attack”)), from Proto-Indo-European *derbʰ- (“to spin, twist”). Thus, the term as a whole may literally mean “having the top side thrown or turned down”.\nThe noun and verb are probably derived from the adverb and adjective.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "topsy-turvies",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "topsy-turvys",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "topsy-turvying",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "topsy-turvied",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "topsy-turvied",
"tags": [
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "topsy-turvyed",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "topsy-turvyed",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"past2": "topsy-turvyed",
"pres_3sg2": "topsy-turvys"
},
"expansion": "topsy-turvy (third-person singular simple present topsy-turvies or topsy-turvys, present participle topsy-turvying, simple past and past participle topsy-turvied or topsy-turvyed)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"top‧sy-turvy"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"English transitive verbs"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1859 July, “Art. IX.—1. Adam Bede. By George Eliot. 3 vols. 1859. 2. Scenes of Clerical Life. By George Eliot. 2 vols. 1858. [book review]”, in The Edinburgh Review, or Critical Journal, volume CX, number CCXXIII, London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts; Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, →OCLC, page 241:",
"text": "Mr. [George] Eliot's descriptions of scenery are perfect: [...] and so are his descriptions of children. [...] We forbear (though with regret) the introduction to our readers of Totty's bald doll, ignominously ‘topsy turvied’ by her insulting brother.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2017, Jai Krishna, “High-resolution Intrabasinal to Inter-regional Geodynamic Chronicle during the Span of the Intra-Permian–Intra-Paleogene Mega-sequence in and around India on the GTM”, in The Indian Mesozoic Chronicle: Sequence Stratigraphic Approach (Springer Geology), Singapore: Springer Nature, →DOI, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 586:",
"text": "The already lithified/hardened late Early/early Middle Oxfordian chunks/slabs of the oolitic limestones fragmented and rotated, even topsy-turvied upside down in the repetitive violent/explosive shake ups.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To turn topsy-turvy or upside down; to invert."
],
"links": [
[
"turn",
"turn#Verb"
],
[
"topsy-turvy",
"topsy-turvy#Adjective"
],
[
"upside down",
"upside down"
],
[
"invert",
"invert#Verb"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(transitive) To turn topsy-turvy or upside down; to invert."
],
"tags": [
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"English transitive verbs"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "[1854], G[eorge] E[liel] Sargent, “How the Legacy Went. In Two Chapters.”, in Moralities for Home, London: Groombridge and Sons. […], →OCLC, chapter II (How It Departed), page 148:",
"text": "[...] Mrs. Sykes said, ‘her man was the wust she ever knowed when he got topsy-turveyed.’ And as now, he began to get topsy-turveyed pretty regularly before he had finished his daily business with the retiring host of the Holly Bush, there was not much peace at home.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1858 July–December, J. A., “Prose versus Verse”, in The New Monthly Belle Assemblée; a Magazine of Literature and Fashion, […], volume XLIX, London: Rogerson and Tuxford, […], →OCLC, page 188, column 1:",
"text": "Has not a diluent expletive been interjected to fill up a line? has not a plain proposition been topsy-turvied, till subject and object are miserably confused, because of accent?",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1865, Thomas Carlyle, “The Campaign Opens”, in History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great, volume V, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, book XVIII, page 16:",
"text": "It is one among their many greater advantages from this surprisal of the enemy, and sudden topsy-turvying of his plans.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1892, M[aurice] O’Connor Morris, “Introduction”, in Memini: Or Reminiscences of Irish Life, London: Harrison & Sons, […], →OCLC, page ix:",
"text": "[M]y literary life was rather topsy-turveyed by a couple of untoward accidents last year, and a prostrating attack of influenza, and bronchitis subsequently, for the cure of which I am indebted to the climate of Portugal, [...]",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2007, “Portrayal of Diaspora Experiences”, in Basavaraj Naikar, editor, Indian English Literature, volume II, New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, →ISBN, page 195:",
"text": "Being from a lower caste, she earns her meager livelihood by cleaning the stairs and guarding the locality (the conventional roles are topsy turvyed).",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To throw into chaos or disorder; to upset."
],
"links": [
[
"throw",
"throw#Verb"
],
[
"chaos",
"chaos"
],
[
"disorder",
"disorder#Noun"
],
[
"upset",
"upset#Verb"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(transitive, figurative) To throw into chaos or disorder; to upset."
],
"tags": [
"figuratively",
"transitive"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˌtɒpsɪˈtəːvi/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈˌtɑpsiˈtɚvi/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "En-us-topsy-turvy.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3a/En-us-topsy-turvy.ogg/En-us-topsy-turvy.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/En-us-topsy-turvy.ogg"
},
{
"audio": "En-au-topsy turvy.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e1/En-au-topsy_turvy.ogg/En-au-topsy_turvy.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/En-au-topsy_turvy.ogg"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "topsy-turvey"
},
{
"word": "topsy turvy"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Laurence Sterne",
"The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman"
],
"word": "topsy-turvy"
}
Download raw JSONL data for topsy-turvy meaning in English (48.1kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). 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.