turnup

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableBritish

   The folded-up cloth at the bottom of a trouser leg.

   Grammar: Often plural because trousers have two: trousers with turnups. In American English the word is cuff.

   Patterns

   • turnups on trousers

   He wore gray trousers with neat turnups.

   A coin fell out of the turnup of his trousers.

   The tailor stitched the turnups to match the length.

2. 2nouncountableinformalBritish

   An unexpected event or surprise, usually in the phrase a turn-up for the books.

   Grammar: Almost always in the phrase a turn-up for the books, which is informal British English.

   Patterns

   • a turn-up for the books

   It was quite a turn-up for the books when the underdogs won.

   Her sudden decision to move abroad was a real turnup.

   The result was a turn-up for the books, since nobody had predicted it.

Word forms

Common combinations

trouser turnups

The trouser turnups collected dust on the wet path.

a turn-up for the books

Their victory was a turn-up for the books.

deep turnup

He preferred a deep turnup on his tweed trousers.

sew a turnup

She sewed a turnup to shorten the trousers.

roll up the turnups

He rolled up the turnups before wading in the stream.

Synonyms and how they differ

cuff

Cuff is the standard American word for the same fold, while turnup is the British word.

hem

A hem is the sewn edge of cloth, not necessarily folded outward as a turnup is.

surprise

Surprise is the general word for the second sense, while turn-up for the books is a particular British idiom.

Word family

turn up phrase

to appear or arrive, or to raise the volume or heat

turned-up adjective

bent or folded upward

turn-up noun

the hyphenated spelling often used in British English

Commonly confused: turnup or turnout?

Practice

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