done up, adj.² — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

done up adj.²

[SE do up, to decorate, renovate a building or room]

(also done) dressed up; esp. as done up to the nines.

1839		F.J. Grund Aristocracy in America III v 303: In this carriage [...] sat the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, dressed in his rich court uniform [. . . .] Jupiter, the second servant, drew also near; and, gazing upon the rich uniform of the stranger, ‘Bacchus,’ said he, ‘wat are dat man so dun up for?’.
1874		‘Old Calabar’ Won in a Canter I 147: [A] young man [...] well ‘done’ by a good London tailor [...] but dress could not rectify the very discernible want of breeding in him.
1899–1900		C.L. Cullen Tales of the Ex-Tanks 93: The young fellows [...] pranced down the middle aisle, done up to the limit, with the swell girls.
1900		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 19 May 11/3: She was a beaut! All done up in one of those new-fashioned spangled gowns.
1914		E. Dyson Spats’ Fact’ry (1922) 24: Sweet innocence done up in pure white crepe at two-n’-eleven the piece [...] has socked him a few in her time.
1920		F.S. Fitzgerald ‘The Ice Palace’ in Bodley Head Scott Fitzgerald V (1963) 131: They passed a little girl done up in grey wool.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 148: Old Goodwin’s tall hat done up with some sticky stuff.
1936		J. Curtis Gilt Kid 39: Which you spent on having your hair done up good.
1940		F. Sargeson ‘An Englishwoman Abroad’ in A Man And His Wife (1944) 56: They were young, quite nice looking in their own way, done up to the nines.
1959		Galton & Simpson ‘Hancock’s Half-Hour’ ser. 5 [radio script] There she is — mmm — done up to the nines.
1965		F.J. Hardy Yarns of Billy Borker 26: Not like these bags here in Woolloomooloo who are either too fat or too thin, too tall or too short. And mutton done up as lamb.
1979		F. Norman Too Many Crooks Spoil the Caper 206: Pete and Ray Williams were loitering furtively in a far corner, done up to the nines in tearaway whistles.
1981		J. Sullivan ‘A Slow Bus to Chingford’ Only Fools and Horses) [TV script] You’ve got me done up as a bloody traffic warden!
1997		N. Barlay Curvy Lovebox 83: There’s chicks [...] who probably got done up just to sign on.

In phrases

done up like a pox doctor’s clerk

see pox-doctor’s clerk n.

done up like a sore finger/thumb/toe

(Aus./N.Z./US) overdressed, flashily dressed.

1943		J.A.W. Bennett ‘Eng. as it is Spoken in N.Z.’ in AS XVIII:2 Apr. 91: ‘All done up like a sore toe’ describes someone dressed over-elaborately; many New Zealand children go barefoot much of the time, and it is with this circumstance in mind that we must interpret the simile.
1960		‘Nino Culotta’ Cop This Lot 197: You blokes’re done up like sore fingers. Wot’s the idea?
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 10: all done up like a sore toe Disparaging reference to someone overdressed and overimpressed with it.

done up like a wedding cake

(Aus.) well-dressed.

1914

Sport (Adelaide) 25 Sept. 5/3: Miss Bet is always done up like a wedding cake.

done up adj.2

In phrases

done up adj.²