Topsy-turvy \Top"sy-tur"vy\, adv. [Earlier topside-turvey,
topsy-tervy; probably for top so turvy; that is, the top as
turvy, as it were turvy; where turvy probably means,
overturned, fr. AS. torfian to throw.]
In an inverted posture; with the top or head downward; upside
down; as, to turn a carriage topsy-turvy.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
topsy-turvy
adj : in utter disorder; "a disorderly pile of clothes" [syn: disorderly,
higgledy-piggledy, hugger-mugger, jumbled]
adv 1: in a disordered manner; "they were piled up
higgledy-piggledy" [syn: higgledy-piggledy]
2: in disorderly haste; "we ran head over heels toward the
shelter" [syn: head over heels, heels over head, topsy-turvily,
in great confusion]
WordNet (r) 2.0
19 Moby Thesaurus words for "topsy-turvy":
backwards, chaotic, confused, disordered, disorderly, disorganized,
every which way, head over heels, higgledy-piggledy, in a muddle,
inverted, jumbled, messy, mixed-up, muddled, reversed, untidy,
upside down, vice versa
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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