Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (UK black) successful, prosperous.

1930		L. Bogan ‘They Ain’t Walking No More’ 🎵 Sometimes I’m up, sometimes I’m down, / I can’t make my living around this town.
2020		G. Krauze What They Was 281: I don’t want nuttin, I just wanna see you up — you’re my brother.

2. of drugs, extremely intoxicating or uplifting.

1968		J. Carroll ‘From the Basketball Diary’ in World 1 Apr. n.p.: [S]omeone discovers that Luther Green, a center from Clinton, has incredible amounts of very up pills. We all go to practice stoned .
1976		R. Sabbag Snowblind (1978) 186: Rubia de la costa, the blonde from the coast, the finest, complete dynamite ‘up’ grass in the world. Take a hit.

3. stimulating, uplifting, high-energy.

1972		New Yorker 5 Aug. 21: It’s too down. I don’t like down movies. I like up movies.
1999		Guardian Guide 19–25 June 11: It’s a very up show.