1 C1 informal
To smarten up one's appearance or dress more neatly.
"You'd better dicky yourself up before the guests arrive."
separable
dicky up
C1 informal separable transitive/intransitive
To smarten oneself or something up; to make neat and tidy (dated British dialect).
In plain English
To make yourself or something look nicer and tidier.
What does "dicky up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To add a 'dicky' (a decorative false shirt-front) and thereby smarten up.
Actually means
To make yourself or something look nicer and tidier.
Usage tip
Highly regional and dated; associated with Northern British and Australian dialects. Rarely heard in modern speech. Derived from 'dicky' meaning a false shirt-front or smart accessory.
Words that pair with "dicky up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
yourself outfit room hair appearance
How to conjugate "dicky up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dicky up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dickies up
he/she/it
Past simple
dickied up
yesterday
Past participle
dickied up
have + pp
-ing form
dickying up
continuous
Hear "dicky up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "dicky up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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