Origins of “Topsy Turvy” phrase?

The phrase “upside down” originated from “top turvy” in Middle English, meaning “to overthrow”. It evolved to describe chaotic situations and can refer to physical or metaphorical states. Reduplication is common in slang, creating rhyming phrases like “hanky panky” and “willy nilly”. The term “upside down” to describe a situation of disorder or confusion has […]

Skip to content