Meanings
alternative on the up and up
- idiomaticinformalLegitimate; honest; upright.
Before paying any money, make sure the organization is on the up-and-up.
2 more examples
You double-cross me, you son of a bitch. I bet English gave you a sawbuck so he could take her out and give her a jump, and you sit back there collecting fifty bucks from me becuss^([sic]) I'm sap enough to think you're on the up-and-up with me.
1934, John O'Hara, Appointment in Samarra, published 2013, →ISBN, page 165“Which you also have to order from his Web site, I'm betting. Are you sure this doctor is on the up-and-up?” “He wrote a book, Abs. Of course he's on the up-and-up.”
2013, Kate Collins, Seed No Evil, Penguin, →ISBNSynonyms: above board, bona fide
- UKidiomaticinformalBecoming more successful; on the rise.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveLegitimate; honest; upright.
Origin
First use appears in the US c. 1863. Its exact origins are uncertain, but it is theorized to have originated in sports betting.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Polish legalny
- legalnylegitimate
Spanish honesto
- honestolegitimate
Cite this entry
on the up-and-up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20the%20up-and-up
“on the up-and-up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20the%20up-and-up. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “on the up-and-up,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20the%20up-and-up.
Source: on the up-and-up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.