keyed up
keyed up (idiom)
/ˌkiːd ˈʌp/
Meanings
- Feeling nervous, anxious, or tense before an event.
- Excited or highly stimulated, full of energy or emotion.
- Restless or agitated, unable to relax due to tension or overexcitement.
Synonyms: anxious; tense; nervous; agitated; excited; jittery; wound up; on edge; uptight.
Example Sentences
- She was keyed up the night before her driving test and couldn’t fall asleep.
- After hearing the good news, he felt keyed up and couldn’t stop smiling.
- The workers were keyed up all morning waiting for the manager’s decision.
- The actor paced backstage, keyed up about opening night and forgetting her lines.
Origin and History
The Musical Roots of “Keyed Up”
The strongest and most widely accepted theory traces the origin of “keyed up” to the world of music. The word “key” refers to the pitch or tonal setting of a musical instrument. To “key up” an instrument meant to adjust it to a higher key or raise its pitch. Over time, this literal action was extended metaphorically to describe a person being in a heightened state—nervous, tense, or excited—just as an instrument tuned to a higher key is under greater tension. The expression “keyed up to concert pitch,” often found in 19th-century writings, reflects this figurative transfer from musical tension to emotional strain.
Mechanical and Tension-Based Origins
Another theory focuses on the mechanical sense of “key.” In engineering and instrument making, “to key up” means to tighten or set a part firmly in place. When something is “keyed up,” it is under pressure or ready for operation. This image of mechanical tension aligns naturally with the emotional state of being highly strung or nervous. Thus, the mechanical metaphor reinforced the same sense of heightened intensity that the musical theory proposed.
Telegraph and Technological Influence
A lesser-known explanation links “keyed up” to the telegraph era. In the mid-19th century, telegraph operators used “keys” to send messages by pressing them rapidly. Some scholars suggest that the constant energy and alertness required to operate a telegraph key could have contributed to the figurative meaning of being “keyed up.” While this connection remains secondary to the musical origin, it shows how technology may have strengthened the idiom’s sense of nervous energy and alert tension.
Shifts in Slang and Modern Usage
By the early 20th century, “keyed up” had entered general slang, sometimes referring to states of excitement, agitation, or even mild intoxication. The phrase broadened to cover any heightened emotional or physical condition, whether caused by stress, caffeine, or anticipation. This evolution marked a shift from its technical and musical beginnings to a fully idiomatic role in everyday English.
Country of Origin
Historical evidence points to the United States as the birthplace of the phrase. The earliest widespread printed examples of “keyed up” appear in American publications during the late 19th century. Early instances in U.S. newspapers and books show the idiom used to describe emotional or physical tension, confirming that it took root in American English before spreading more widely.
Earliest Printed Records
The earliest known printed use of the verb form “to key up” dates back to 1835, according to authoritative historical lexicons. Although the complete bibliographic record of that example is preserved in archival sources, its text is not freely accessible in public databases. The adjectival form “keyed up,” meaning emotionally excited or tense, appeared later, with verified uses in the 1880s.
One early American example appears in the Cheyenne Daily Leader on February 24, 1881, where the expression “keyed up to concert pitch” was printed in a figurative sense. Another example appears in the 1899 book How to Get Strong, which uses “keyed up to concert-pitch” in a similar metaphorical way. These attestations confirm that the phrase was well established in American English by the late 19th century.
Historical Development
Tracing its path, the phrase evolved from a technical term used in music and mechanics to a figurative idiom describing human emotion. The verb “to key up” first appeared in the early 19th century, followed by the adjective “keyed up” later in the century. Both shared the underlying sense of being raised, tightened, or stimulated—whether in sound, tension, or emotion. By the late 1800s, the idiom had become firmly embedded in American vernacular speech.
Origin Summary
In summary, “keyed up” most likely began as a musical term meaning “raised to a higher key” and gradually took on mechanical and emotional connotations. The phrase emerged in American English in the 19th century, with the verb form recorded as early as 1835 and the adjectival idiom popularized in the 1880s. Over time, it evolved into a common expression for emotional tension, nervousness, or excitement, retaining the vivid imagery of something—whether an instrument or a person—stretched to its highest pitch.
Variants
- keyed-up (hyphenated form)
- all keyed up
- get keyed up
- key up (verb form)
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