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 Topsail (or Topsails Over), phr. (old). Topsy-turvy (q.v); heels over head.

c. 1430. Destr. Troy ((E.E.T.S.), 1219. Mony turnyt with tene topsayles ouer That hurlet to the hard vrthe and there horse leuyt.

[?] Rom. of Cheuelere Assigne (E.E.T.S.), 320. And eyther of hem topseyle tumbledde to the erthe.

To pay one's debts with the topsail, verb. phr. (nautical) (Grose).—To go to sea leaving scores unpaid; cf. (military) 'to pay one's score with the drum' (= to march away).

Tops-and-bottoms. To play at tops-and-bottoms, verb. phr. (venery).—To copulate: see Ride.

Top-sawyer, 1. See Top, subs.

2. (tailors').—A collar. Also the front of a garment.

To play top-sawyer, verb. phr. (venery).—To copulate: see Ride.

Top-shuffle, verb. phr. (gaming).—To shuffle the lower half of a pack over the upper half without disturbing it. The cut, of course, buries it, but by a very simple movement the cards are forced back to their original condition. This is 'shifting the cut,' and can be done with one hand or two.

Topsy-boosy, adj. phr. (common).—Drunk: see Screwed.

Topsy-turvy, adv. (old colloquial).—Upside down; upset; in confusion: also as adj., subs., and verb. with derivatives such as topsy-turvily, topsy-turviness, topsy-turvydom, topsy-turvyfication, topsy-turvify, and topsy-turvyism (Grose). [Of uncertain but much-discussed derivation: the word also shows remarkable changes in form, many of which are given infra. The most recently accepted theory of probable derivation (Hall, Skeat, and Century) is top + so + tervy (= overthrown), with confusion in some of the forms with kindred phrases, such as topsails over (q.v.).]

Variants.—Topsy-tervy; topsy-tyrvy; topsie-turvie; topse-torve; topsy-turvye; topsie-turvy; topsy-turvy; tupsie-turvie; topsi-turvy; topsy-turvey; topsoltiria (Scots); tapsalteerie (Scots); tapsie-teerie (Scots); top-turvye; topsey; turvy-topsy; topsyd-turvey; topside-turvey; topside-turvy; topsyturn; topsiturn; topsieturn; topsyturny; topsi-*turnie; topsieturn; topsiturn; topside-turned; topset-torvie; topset-turvie; topset-tirvi; topside the other way; topside totherway; topside turf-*way; tossy-tail.

1528. Roy, Rede Me, &c. [Arber], 51. He tourneth all thynge topsy tervy.

1547. Heywood,Dialogues [Pearson, Works (1874), vi. 214]. [Topside-turned.]

1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, ii. [Arber, 33, 59]. Topside turvey. Ibid. (1586), Descr. Ireland, 26. 2. The estate of that flourishing towne was turned arsie versie, topside the other waie.

1586. [Foster, Notes and Queries, 5 S. ii. 478. In Bodleian MS. Rawl. Poet. 25 (which is dated 1694-5, and is a 1586), on the reverse of sign. E 7, eleventh line, I find the phrase topside turfway.]