First published 1913; not yet revised
topsy-turvyadverb, adjective, noun, & verb
Factsheet
What does the word topsy-turvy mean?
There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the word topsy-turvy. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the word topsy-turvy?
About 0.2occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 0.11 |
| 1760 | 0.1 |
| 1770 | 0.097 |
| 1780 | 0.099 |
| 1790 | 0.097 |
| 1800 | 0.1 |
| 1810 | 0.12 |
| 1820 | 0.14 |
| 1830 | 0.16 |
| 1840 | 0.19 |
| 1850 | 0.21 |
| 1860 | 0.24 |
| 1870 | 0.27 |
| 1880 | 0.3 |
| 1890 | 0.32 |
| 1900 | 0.35 |
| 1910 | 0.37 |
| 1920 | 0.35 |
| 1930 | 0.34 |
| 1940 | 0.32 |
| 1950 | 0.28 |
| 1960 | 0.24 |
| 1970 | 0.21 |
| 1980 | 0.2 |
| 1990 | 0.2 |
| 2000 | 0.2 |
| 2010 | 0.21 |
How is the word topsy-turvy pronounced?
British English
/ˌtɒpsɪˈtəːvi/
top-see-TUR-vee
U.S. English
/ˌtɑpsiˈtərvi/
tahp-see-TUR-vee
Where does the word topsy-turvy come from?
Earliest known use
early 1500s
The earliest known use of the word topsy-turvy is in the early 1500s.
OED's earliest evidence for topsy-turvy is from 1528, in Rede Me and be nott Wrothe.
topsy-turvy is of uncertain origin.
Nearby entries
- Topsy, n.1885–
- topsy-turn, v.1573–
- topsy-turning, n.1870–
- topsy-turve, v.1603
- topsy-turvical, adj.1882–
- topsy-turvification, n.1840–
- topsy-turvify, v.1886–
- topsy-turvily, adv.1886–
- topsy-turviment, n.1884–
- topsy-turviness, n.1842–
- topsy-turvy, adv., adj., n., v.1528–
- topsy-turvyan, n.1745
- topsy-turvydom, n.1870–
- topsy-turvyhood, n.1791–
- topsy-turvyism, n.1880–
- topsy-turvyist, n.1890–
- topsy-turvyize, v.1893–
- topsy versy, adv.1767–
- top table, n.1897–
- top-tackle, n.1769–
- top-tail, v.1839–
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for topsy-turvy, adv., adj., n., v.
topsy-turvy, adv., adj., n., v. was first published in 1913; not yet revised.
topsy-turvy, adv., adj., n., v. was last modified in December 2023.
Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:
- corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into topsy-turvy, adv., adj., n., v. in December 2023.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1913)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Citation details
Factsheet for topsy-turvy, adv., adj., n., v.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- Topsy, n.1885–
- topsy-turn, v.1573–
- topsy-turning, n.1870–
- topsy-turve, v.1603
- topsy-turvical, adj.1882–
- topsy-turvification, n.1840–
- topsy-turvify, v.1886–
- topsy-turvily, adv.1886–
- topsy-turviment, n.1884–
- topsy-turviness, n.1842–
- topsy-turvy, adv., adj., n., v.1528–
- topsy-turvyan, n.1745
- topsy-turvydom, n.1870–
- topsy-turvyhood, n.1791–
- topsy-turvyism, n.1880–
- topsy-turvyist, n.1890–
- topsy-turvyize, v.1893–
- topsy versy, adv.1767–
- top table, n.1897–
- top-tackle, n.1769–
- top-tail, v.1839–
