Where does “nut up” come from?

nut up (English) comes from English Nut, from Middle English note, from Old English notu, from Proto-Germanic nutō, from Proto-Indo-European newd- — to seize; grasp; use; to grasp, seize, use; to...

nut up (English): To show courage and hide one's apprehension; To...

Definitions

  1. To show courage and hide one's apprehension; To...

Ancestry of “nut up”, step by step

nut up traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Nut

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishNutThe goddess who serves as the personification of the sky
2Middle Englishnotenote; Alternative form of not
3Old Englishnotuuse; enjoyment; profit, advantage, utility
4Proto-Germanicnutōuse, profit, yield
5Proto-Indo-Europeannewd-to seize; grasp; use; to grasp, seize, use; to...

via English up

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishupAway from the surface of the Earth or other...
2Middle Englishupto a vertical axis
3Old Englishuppup; upstairs
4Proto-West Germanic*upp
Every word from Proto-Indo-European newd-Every word from Proto-Germanic nutōEvery word from Old English notu