Keep your pecker up

Suggest a Correction

Meaning

Stay chipper or brave, head high.

Origin

From 19th-century Britain, tied to slang; 'pecker' for beak or spirit, by 1850s in a Dickens note for cheer. A 1870s 'Punch' uses it for a lift.

Variants

  • Pecker up

Usage Examples

  • Keep your pecker up-things'll turn.
  • He kept his pecker up; tough lad.
  • Pecker up; don't let it drop.

Browse More