topsy-turvy (redirected from topsy-turvies)

top·sy-tur·vy  (tps-tûrv)

adv.

1. With the top downward and the bottom up; upside-down.

2. In or into a state of utter disorder or confusion: "turning our ordered life topsy-turvy" (Anne Tyler).

adj. top·sy-tur·vi·er, top·sy-tur·vi·est

1. Turned or positioned upside down; inverted.

2. Confused or disordered.

n. pl. top·sy-tur·vies

The quality or condition of being topsy-turvy.

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[Probably from top + obsolete terve, to overturn (from Middle English terven).]

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topsy-turvi·ly adv.

topsy-turvi·ness n.

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topsy-turvy [ˈtɒpsɪˈtɜːvɪ]

adj

1. upside down

2. in a state of confusion

adv

in a topsy-turvy manner

n

a topsy-turvy state

[probably from tops, plural of top¹ + obsolete tervy to turn upside down; perhaps related to Old English tearflian to roll over]

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	topsy-turvy - in utter disorder; "a disorderly pile of clothes" higgledy-piggledy, hugger-mugger, jumbled, disorderly untidy - not neat and tidy; "careless and untidy in her personal habits"; "an untidy living room"; "untidy and casual about money"
Adv.	1.	topsy-turvy - in a disordered manner; "they were piled up higgledy-piggledy" higgledy-piggledy
	2.	topsy-turvy - in disorderly haste; "we ran head over heels toward the shelter" head over heels, heels over head, in great confusion, topsy-turvily

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topsy-turvy

adjective confused, upside-down, disorderly, chaotic, messy, mixed-up, jumbled, inside-out, untidy, disorganized, disarranged The world has turned topsy-turvy in my lifetime.
ordered, organized, neat, tidy, systematic, orderly, shipshape

Translations

topsy-turvy [ˌtɒpsɪˈtɜːvɪ]

A. ADJ → en desorden, revuelto

B. ADV → patas arriba, al revés
everything is topsy-turvy → todo está patas arriba

topsy-turvy (inf)

adj (lit: = upside down) → umgedreht; (= in disorder) → kunterbunt durcheinander pred; (fig) → auf den Kopf gestellt; it’s a topsy-turvy world → es ist eine verkehrte Welt; the room was all topsy-turvy → alles im Zimmer war kunterbunt durcheinander

adv to turn something topsy-turvy (lit, fig) → etw auf den Kopf stellen; plans → etw über den Haufen werfen

topsy-turvy [ˌtɒpsɪˈtɜːvɪ] adj & adv → sottosopra (inv)