1 C1 neutral
A traditional gambling game, especially associated with Australia, in which two coins are spun in the air and bets are placed on the outcome.
"On ANZAC Day, the pub organized a game of two-up in honour of the tradition."
two up
C1 neutral
A traditional Australian and British gambling game in which two coins are tossed and players bet on whether they land heads or tails.
In plain English
An old gambling game where you flip two coins and bet on whether they land heads or tails.
What does "two up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
Two coins tossed up into the air.
Actually means
An old gambling game where you flip two coins and bet on whether they land heads or tails.
Usage tip
'Two-up' is deeply associated with ANZAC Day in Australia, where it is legally played as a cultural tradition. It is otherwise illegal in most Australian states. More of a compound noun/cultural term than a true phrasal verb; included here as it appears in phrasal verb lists.
Words that pair with "two up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
ANZAC Day kip spinner heads tails bet
How to conjugate "two up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
two up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
twos up
he/she/it
Past simple
twoed up
yesterday
Past participle
twoed up
have + pp
-ing form
twoing up
continuous
Hear "two up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "two up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "two up"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
coin toss heads or tails
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