turn up, v.¹ — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

turn up v.¹

[SE turn up; note turn up (one’s) tail ]

1. to prostitute oneself or another; thus as n., a prostitute [OED cites it only as ‘apparently’] .

c.1616		W. Goddard Mastif Whelp B^v: [a pimp’s name] Captayne Turne-her-vpp.
1647		Mercurius Melancholicus 13 20–29 Nov. 77: [He] loves feminine turn-ups, and both in Westminster and neer S. Giles in the fields hath his houses of disport, or vaulting schools, . . . where ... he betrays all the secrets of the State unto the Proserpines.
1648		Mr Henry Martin His Speech 2: I will turne up their Wives, and you shall plunder their Bags.
1649		Man in the Moon 16-23 Apr. 11: Hannah Ienks, Ruth Turn up, Doll Burn-it, and sister Wag-tayle have petition’d the Supreame Authority.
1654		Mercurius Fumigosus 25 15–22 Nov. 213: I have Turnups, white Hackney Turn-upps, [...] For hie, or for low, milde Woman or Shroo, Through the streets I do go.
1655		Gossips Braule 6: I never tyred going to Hackney for Turn-ups yet; mark ye that Puss.
1670		Dryden Conquest of Granada Pt 1 Epilogue: Fame is false to all that keep her long; And turns up to the Fop that’s brisk and young.
1682		Dryden Absalom and Achitophel Pt 2 383: ’Tis a Leading-Card to make a Whore, To prove her Mother had turn’d up before.
1693		Tate Juvenal II 22: Flavia may now and then turn up for Bread, But chastly with Catulla lies a Bed. Your Hispo acts both Sexes parts, before A Fornicator; and behind, a Whore.
a.1700		‘Catalogue of Contented Cuckolds’ in Pepys Ballads (1987) IV 130: To my work straight I go where I labour and toyl, And I leave him to turn up my wife the mean while.
1725		View of London & Westminster (2nd part) 41: [in a list of prostitutes] Miss Turn-up [Is Visited] By a Person of Distinction.

2. as to turn a woman up, of a male subject and female object, to have sexual intercourse.

1685		Catologue of Contented Cuckolds [ballad] To my work straight I go where I labour and toy, / And I leave him to turn up my wife the mean while.
1850		Man of Pleasure’s Illus. Pocket-book n.p.: ‘[S]he did'nt care who turned 'em up, ’cause ’em vos as clean as a smelt and as fresh as a daisy—she vould’nt have a speck’d ’un if she know'd it’.
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

3. see turn over v.²

SE in slang uses

In phrases

turn up one’s guts (v.)

(Aus.) to vomit.

1919

V. Marshall World of Living Dead (1969) 124: There wuz wunst a time, boy, when a fit o’ spewin’ used to scare ’em into cuttin’ short the count, and so we got chewin’ chunks o’ soap ter turn our guts up. Then some pimp puts the pot on.

turn up (one’s) tail (v.) [tail n. (2)/tail n. (1)]

of a woman, to have sexual intercourse.

1648		‘Mercurius Melancholicus’ Parliament Brought to Bed 4: [She] hath followed the Camp, & became an Amunition-W, and turn’d up her tayle to every lowsy [...] Rascall in the Army.
1661		‘Peter Aretine’ Strange Newes from Bartholomew-Fair 3: [You] know all Postures, and turn up your tayl to all sorts of Culls.
1706		Fifteen Comforts of Cuckoldom 5: But my Dear Wife, in turning up her Tail / To bear the Threshing of her Gallant’s Frail.
1719		in D’Urfey Pills to Purge Melancholy III 267: I’ve seen Lords and Earls, / And roaring fine Girls, / Turn up their tails at fifteen. [Ibid.] V 27: Cracks turn up Tail for a Pot of Ale.
c.1850		Peeping Tom (London) 18 70/2: She’ll say she’s not so weak and frail, / Next minute she’ll turn up her tail.
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

turn up one’s toes (v.)

see turn up one’s toes under toe n.

turn up the heat (on) (v.)

see turn on the heat under heat n.

turn up v.1

SE in slang uses

In phrases

turn up v.¹