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keep one's pecker up. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
keep one's pecker up, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
keep one's pecker up in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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keep one's pecker up, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From pecker, meaning "nose", by analogy with beak.
Pronunciation
Verb
keep one's pecker up (third-person singular simple present keeps one's pecker up, present participle keeping one's pecker up, simple past and past participle kept one's pecker up)
- (chiefly British, idiomatic) To remain cheerful; keep smiling.
1880, Talbot Baines Reed, The Fifth Form at Saint Dominic's:“Of course you will,” said Wraysford, cheerily; “it’s hard lines at first. Keep your pecker up, young ’un.” The young ’un, despite this friendly advice, felt very far from keeping up his pecker. But he did his best, and worked his face into a melancholy sort of a smile.
- , Episode 12, The Cyclops
- --Keep your pecker up, says Joe. She'd have won the money only for the other dog.
1977, W. Somerset Maugham, Collected short stories:"Nerves a bit dicky, eh? Playing a tune to keep your pecker up?"
2003, Janet Floyd, Laurel Forster, The recipe reader: narratives, contexts, traditions:All you need is a box of goodies to keep your pecker up, ...
Usage notes
In the US, where pecker means penis, this phrase is not used, as it would likely be understood as a vulgar command to maintain an erection.
See also
References
- ^ "keep your pecker up" in the Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford University Press, 2015)
- ^ Julia Cresswell, Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, →ISBN, page 314 (Oxford University Press, 2010)