one's back is up

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.37 in modern English

Scrabble Score

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Syllables

Unique Chars

Meaning

phrase

"My back is up, and I cannot hear the thought of wooing him any farther, nor would do it, though he were as pig a gentleman (look you) as Lucifer himself."
"And I want you to be nice to Patty. For some reason her back is up."
"Now my back is up. “Yes, the witch,” I hiss."

From the way a cat, when angry, raises or arches its back.

get one's back up

get one's back up

How to pronounce one's back is up

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