Where does “balls up” come from?
balls up (English) comes from English up, from Middle English up, from Old English upp, from Proto-West Germanic *upp.
balls up (English): Third-person singular simple present indicative...
Definitions
- Third-person singular simple present indicative...
Ancestry of “balls up”, step by step
balls up traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English up
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | up | Away from the surface of the Earth or other... |
| 2 | Middle English | up | to a vertical axis |
| 3 | Old English | upp | up; upstairs |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *upp | — |
via English balls
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | balls | plural of ball; The testicles; Bravery, courage,... |
via English ball up
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ball up | To crush into a ball shape; To coil up into a... |