A verb phrase To perform or complete (a household chore), straighten and make ready for use.
1908 Johnson Life KY Mts 182 As I went about doing up the little chores, feeding the hogs and chopping wood, I noticed that [his dog] was restless, going from place to place and very ill at ease. 1940 Haun Hawk’s Done 79 She aimed to go over there as soon as we got the work done up. 1941 Stuart Men of Mts 102 It will soon be dark and our men that are alive will be slipping back through the woods to their homes to do up their work. 1964 Roberts Hell-Fer-Sartin 110 So he went and done his work up and set down by the door and took his baby on his knee. 1973 AOHP/ASU-92 Everybody went home in time to do up the evening work. They had their chores to do, and they had to go home and do them. 1985 Wear Lost Communities 12 Every morning we had to (as mother called it) “do up the work.” 1997 Montgomery Coll (known to nine consultants from the Smoky Mountains ); Make sure you do up your bed (Norris).
B noun A celebration, festive event.
1990 Wigginton Foxfire Christmas 31 They’d always have some kind of church business, and that’s one thing we had to go to. They’d have singings and preachings. Everybody would come in and have a big do-up.
—Dictionary of Southern Appalachian English
2023 Brasstown
- Corie do up those dishes and then we’ll work on editing videos.
- What you been doing Granny? Oh I’ve just been doing around the house.
- Didn’t they have a big do-up for his last birthday?
- They’re having some sort of do-up down there. I couldn’t hardly get through the road when I come by.
Both do up usages are alive and well in Brasstown. Are you familiar with them?
Last night’s video: Picking Out Seeds For Early Spring Veggies in Appalachia.
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
I have been to a “Big To Do” before.
I’m very familiar with getting things done up. Also I mentioned to a friend that I don’t “trade” with a certain merchant and had to explain about how we used to take chickens and garden produce to some stores and trade for sugar, coffee, etc..
I do up the dishes, fo up the laundry and do my clothes when getting dressed. however if I’m cleaning I’m just messing with the house
“Do up” has been used as far back as I can recall. I say “het up” as well. Ie, the stove sure het up the house quickly.
My family uses that saying about clothing. ” I like your new dress. I bet it will do up good” meaning it will still look good after laundering and ironing.
Heard “wash up” and “wash down “many times. An aunt would say she must wash up these youngins.
Others would say they were going wash down a wall or windows.
I heard mama say it and I also say, ” I’m going to do up the kitchen,” referring to straighten up or we get through with eating here and I will say, “if you are done, I’m going to do up with it,” referring to putting away the leftovers. I also hear, ” don’t make a big to do about it,” referring to a big deal about it. Amazing how we use these words and don’t give it a second thought.
Hmmmm “do up” rings a faint bell, probably as has been mentioned regarding “doing up” something that needed securing. But I’m more familiar with “make up” as in “make up the bed” or “work up” as in “I’ve got to get in there and work up that corn.” Maybe the “up” part is a key? We didn’t always “tear down”. Sometimes we “tore up”. I’m not real clear on the difference.
We’ll get ‘er done, is a common expression we say, also. My Dad’s family were raised in Limestone, Tennessee, so I am familiar with most of your lingo! Blessings to you and your family
Mom would say, “I have to get supper up before I can do anything else.” She would also say, something like take the taters up before they burn. Making the bed up is another one I remember. I don’t recall any of us saying do up.
And I think we’ve all been “fed up” more than once. 🙂
The only time I heard or used this term was to “do up” the laundry. Homestead Tessie, raised by Mennonites, on YouTube used the term “red up.” Every time I am so tired, I want to leave dishes soaking, my mind goes back to that expression. It prompts me to “get on the ball” and assure a clean kitchen greets me next morning. Interesting to note when I googled the “red up” expression, I found a post from January 2020 where none other than the Blind Pig had a post on this. It is so fascinating to see how these old expressions are handed down through the generations and thank you for yet another gem. Sometimes information just brings more questions, and it makes me ponder what expressions my family used that were handed down through my Moravian or German ancestors. The Scoth-Irish has loads of information available, but every now and then there is a time worn expression that is baffling in its origin.
I can’t say I’ve used “Do up”, but I’ve used “doin”. Ex Whatcha doin? I’m doin dishes.
I’m not familiar with do up. I’ve heard doings, referring to some kind of event.
Did you know that there are people who pronounce do, dew and due all the same way?
Ed-I might be one of those people 🙂
That surprises me! The wet stuff that collects on the grass overnight is pronounced “do”? The light bill is “do” by Tuesday?
We pronounce dew and due to rhyme with few, pew and you. Maybe we are not as close as I thought we were.
If somebody makes a total disaster it’s common to say in WV “you really done it up!” Also if you made a spectacle by drinking too much, getting arrested, a call to the police etc., it’s also said “ you really done it up this time!” I “do up dishes” about 5 times a day. Also if you got big, teased up, pumped up tall hair you have “ a real do up!”
The do-up’s have been in my family for as long as I can remember. My late Granny said it so did my late Momma. I must have said it a lot when my children were coming up because I hear them both say it too. Funny how that happens!! Have a blessed day!
I’ve heard “ they’re having a big to do down here tonight”. “ to do” is used still in our area.
Yes, and I’ve got work to get done up today.
Yes, I always heard “to do” and still hear it at times. It is sometimes used to mean someone made a mountain out of a mole hill. “He made a big to do about his sprained ankle”
Straightenin’ up…
Here in Oklahoma, I recall my Appalachian relatives saying, ‘Do up your coat” (Button it up). Somehow, I picked up ‘ta-do’ as a kid and still use it. ‘What’s that ta-do going on in town”? .. “Sounds like a big ta-do you’re planning.”.. Interesting!
I have never heard this phrase, but I like it! It is pretty self explanatory. I think it will be an easy one for me to start using.
Donna. : )
I’m not familiar with the do ups, but they make perfect since….. and I love them! Funny how two common little words can put a smile on your face like those just did! Same as when my first grandson was born, my son said he was now gonna be “the deddy,” and my husband was gonna be “granddeddy Kel.” And sure enough we’ve all been callin them that since. My son has always been asked where her gets his southern accent, not that we’ve ever heard him sound like he had a southern accent, but others still say he does…..so, he said he might as well play it up and become “the deddy!”
Yes, I often hear this said by natives of my area along with “straightened up”. I remember Mama saying “do up the dishes or the clothes” meaning to wash. Since I am one of the natives, I will say things like this without giving them any thought.
Strange. I grew up in Minnesota and we all used the “do up” expression. Eg. Do up the dishes.
Today is Wednesday and I gotta do up the house before dinner. Yes, I have used that one a lot in my later years. I started working on my seeds some yesterday and will finish up today. I am curious though, where you purchased your ‘seed holders’, it looks like a good way to keep them Sometime in Florida the humidity is not my friend, so does the plastic possibly harbor dampness? Stay well and safe and for sure you ‘editoring’ helper does a good job. God Bless
Search on Amazon for “picture organizers and storage box”, they have a few different options there.
Heard & used “do up” & “doing around “since I was a kid,still use both.
Hi Glenda! Save up those little silica paks that come in various things like medicine, etc. Use them to put in containers where moisture is likely to collect or do harm. I have them in all my tool box drawers. I’m sure they would work to keep moisture from harming seeds in those plastic containers. They sure keep my tools from rusting and that had been a big problem before I found the idea.