Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a boxing or wrestling match or contest.

1810		Sporting Mag. XXXVI 195: The next amusement was a turn-up betwixt Crib and Richman.
1822		American 2 Mar. 2/3: [Two unskillful prizefighters are allowed] now and then to take ‘a turn up’ after a fair with the ‘fresh ones’ of the country.
1827		Exeter & Plymouth Gaz. 23 June 3/2: Sanders, a private in the Guards, had a turn-up with Thorn, an ugly customer.
1832		Egan Bk of Sports 8: Those sort of choice spirits who are always ready for a [...] ‘turn-up’ out of doors to keep them from getting into more serious mischief at home.
1837		R. Barham ‘The Bagman’s Dog’ in Ingoldsby Legends (1840) 335: I’d describe now to you / As ‘prime a Set-to,’ / And ‘regular turn-up,’ as ever you knew.
1842		Whip & Satirist of NY & Brooklyn (NY) 10 Sept. n.p.: Diamond and Nero. On Monday afternoon last a ‘turn up’ took place in this city between these two dogs .
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open 128: Turn up, a casual set-to, a fight.
1848		Bell’s Life in Sydney 18 Mar. 2/3: The ‘small fry’ [...] considered that they might as well amuse themselves with a ‘turn-up’.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 31 Mar. 24/2: That Cribb can punch, and punch hard, there’s no doubt; he and cyclist Larry Corbett had a quiet turn-up at Seale’s gymnasium [...] and Larry caught one that left him in doubt for three days as to whether his ribs were broken or not.
1927		(con. 1835–40) P. Herring Bold Bendigo 4: Sam Turner says he’ll have a turn up with old Jem.

2. in fig. use, an attempt.

1819

‘One of the Fancy’ Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress 38: For a short turn-up at a sonnet, / A round of odes, or Pastoral bout, / All Lombard street to nine-pence on it.

3. a street fight.

1819		P. Egan Key to the Picture of the Fancy going to a Fight 35: A turn-up between a Coal-heaver and a Costermonger about a dog; the former having kicked at it.
1821		J. Burrowes Life in St George’s Fields 8: She had a bit of a turn-up with a poor Pie-man, whom she so belabored over the canister with a poker.
1827		P. Cunningham New South Wales II 63: Bludgeons, brick-bats, ‘three-year olds,’ and fists, being all legalised in these turn-ups.
1859, 1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
1866		Sportsman 18 Sept. 2/1: Notes on News [...] Jim Lackey, a noted rough and tumble fighter, who [...] is said to have given Tom Walsh a very lively turn up.
1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1894		Truth (Sydney) 28 Oct. 5/6: I’m sorry to hear about your turn-up with Trooper last night.
1896		A. Morrison Child of the Jago (1982) 96: A private feud was the first cause of the turn-up.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 23 Jun. 13/4: Hales, whose heart was always to be trusted rather than his head, lost a finger in a ‘bit of a turn-up’ which arose out of one of his early press articles; and after that his hand-writing was more awful than ever.

4. (also turn-in) any form of argument, altercation; a scolding.

1821		W.T. Moncrieff Tom and Jerry III i: Such pals in a turn-up, so bang up and merry.
1832		Egan Bk of Sports 54: Matthews, Liston, or Reeve, would be at fault to have a turn-up with him in a ‘Battle of brains.’.
1839		Crim.-Con. Gaz. 21 Dec. 311/1: What has become of the nobby lad in the City, that has given her turn-ups for being so stout.
1843		Satirist & Sporting Chron. (Sydney) 1 Apr. 3/1: The Misses P—s [...] have not been so quarrelsome with their neighbours, since the last turn-up at the P.O.
1856		Bell’s Life in Sydney 17 May 2/7: A few days ago she and Saunders had a turn-up which had ended in a turn out.
1867		Sportsman 23 Nov. 2/1: Notes on News [...] The days when Balaam gave such a ‘turn up’ to his employer.
1899		R. Whiteing No. 5 John Street 212: Why, there was a bit of a turn-up between the Regent hisself and ’is old woman, Queen Caroline.
1903		Bulletin (Sydney) 10 Dec. 21/2: I spoke to him sternly, but he eyed me like a savage dog, when one goes to strike it, and I – well, I changed the subject. I did not, at present, want to risk a ‘turn-up’ with this young giant.
1914		C. Holme Lonely Plough (1931) 110: You were having a bit of a turn-up with the Duke’s shover.
1924		‘Sapper’ Third Round 588: His soul positively hankered for another little turn-up with Carl Peterson — something with a real bit of zip in it.
1957		D. Niland Call Me When the Cross Turns Over (1958) 118: She had another turn-in with him that evening.
1962		B. McGhee Cut and Run (1963) 33: Dae ye think the polis are that stupit, that they couldny connect us wi’ the turn-up in that boozer?

5. a sudden exit, a speedy departure.

1859		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. 112: turn up a sudden leaving, or making off.
1865		Dickens Our Mutual Friend (1994) 448: He takes his departure out of the ring in which he has had that little turn-up with Death.
1873		Sl. Dict.

6. (society) a minor quarrel, a tiff.

1910

cited in Partridge DSUE (1984).