Lexic.us

Definition of Play up

1. Verb. Move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent. "The introduction highlighted the speaker's distinguished career in linguistics"

2. Verb. Ingratiate oneself to; often with insincere behavior. "She is playing up to the chairman"

Definition of Play up

1. Verb. (British idiomatic) To misbehave ¹

2. Verb. (idiomatic) To make or attempt to make something appear more important, likely or obvious; to showcase or highlight ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Lexicographical Neighbors of Play Up

play silly buggers play someone like a fiddle play structure play the advantage play the board play the field play the fool play the ponies play the race card play the same tape

play the white man play therapy play to the gallery play to win play truant play up (current term) play well with others play with fire playa playabilities

playability playable playact playacted playacting playactings playactor playactors

Literary usage of Play up

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Punch by Mark Lemon, Henry Mayhew, Tom Taylor, Shirley Brooks, Francis Cowley Burnand, Owen Seaman (1883)
"Proprietor (ironically). play up, Gent« ! play up, Gents ! ... play up ! Have 'em down ! 1 Shy at Krupp, everything ! ! ! Fini Noble Sportsman. Yes. ..."

2. A Philosophy of Play by Luther Halsey Gulick (1920)
"The river of death has brimmed its banks And England's far and Honor a name But the voice of a schoolboy rallies the ranks: 'play up! play up! and play the ..."

3. Punch by Mark Lemon, Henry Mayhew, Tom Taylor, Shirley Brooks, Francis Cowley Burnand, Owen Seaman (1883)
"Proprietor (ironically). play up, Gent« ! play up, Gents ! ... play up ! Have 'em down ! 1 Shy at Krupp, everything ! ! ! Fini Noble Sportsman. Yes. ..."

4. A Philosophy of Play by Luther Halsey Gulick (1920)
"The river of death has brimmed its banks And England's far and Honor a name But the voice of a schoolboy rallies the ranks: 'play up! play up! and play the ..."

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