upper

be (down) on your uppers (British, old-fashioned)

to be in a very bad financial situation. Hungary's once successful film industry is on its uppers. He was always ready to help anyone who was down on their uppers.

gain/get the upper hand

have the upper hand - if someone has the upper hand, they have a position of power and control over someone else, and if an emotion has the upper hand, it controls what you do. Government troops are gradually gaining the upper hand over the rebel forces. (often + over) I shouldn't have read the letter, but curiosity got the upper hand.

See also: gain, hand

have the upper hand

if someone has the upper hand, they have a position of power and control over someone else, and if an emotion has the upper hand, it controls what you do. At half time, the Italian team seem to have the upper hand.

See also: hand

a stiff upper lip

an ability to stay calm and not show feelings of sadness or fear. You weren't allowed to show emotion in those days. You had to keep a stiff upper lip at all times. I never once saw my father cry or show any sign of vulnerability - it's that old British stiff upper lip.

See also: lip, stiff

the upper crust

people who have the highest social position and who are usually rich. Many treasures were brought back to Britain because its upper crust was wealthy and liked travelling abroad.

See also: crust

upper-crust

the upper crust - people who have the highest social position and who are usually rich. He spoke with an upper-crust accent.

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have the upper hand

to have power and control over someone or a situation. By half time, the Italian soccer team seemed to have the upper hand.

Usage notes: also used with get and gain: There is always worry over who will get the upper hand in the oil markets. Fire fighters from more than six states finally gained the upper hand on the forest fire. PH notes that "upper hand" is entered as CM in MW (as also in WNW), but "the upper hand" collocates so strongly with just 3 verbs--get, have, & gain--with about 70% of the corpus hits, that I think this constitutes a legitimate idiom & will enter it under "upper hand," w/xref at hand; "have" is most common w/over 50%--SL, 2/03

See also: hand