Englishon the up and up
Meaning: Honest; ethical; fair.
Example: “The charity's accounts are completely on the up and up.”
Origin: American, likely from sports betting, with citations reaching back to 1863 despite the phrase not becoming common until decades later. One theory ties it to boxing, where referees traditionally watched a match from an elevated position to keep the contest honest — "up" here doubling as both a literal vantage point and a stand-in for integrity and fair dealing. Before roughly 1950, "on the up and up" almost always meant open, honest, and legitimate; only in the mid-20th century did a second sense, describing something steadily rising or improving, become the more common usage, leaving the phrase with two related but distinct modern meanings.
More English idioms
- out of one's element In a situation that one is unprepared for or unfamiliar with.
- out of the blue Suddenly and unexpectedly.
- out of the woods Out of danger; out of a very difficult situation.
- over the top Beyond expectations; outside normal or accepted boundaries; exaggerated.
- over a barrel In a difficult situation or position.
- over the hill Too old to be of much value.
Explore another collection: Untranslatable Words
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- Shemomechama Eating well past fullness simply because the food is too delicious to stop.
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- Boketto Staring off into the distance with your mind pleasantly empty, thinking of nothing at all.
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