up the yin-yang en · ADP
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
It has been suggested to derive from the meaning of the phrase "up the yin-yang", where "yin-yang", a reference to a circular Taoist symbol, is used euphemistically for the human anus; the suggestion, therefore, is that one has so much of some thing that some of that thing is to be found in one's colon, or otherwise beyond one's anus. The meaning of "up the yin-yang", then, is actually "to an excessive degree".
Meanings
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(colloquial, idiomatic, mildly, vulgar) Synonym of out the wazoo.
...the currently fashionable barbarism of plus used as a conjunction; and the reference to Ethel Merman as "The Merm"; and the misuse of a favorite slang expression ("... these Kander and Ebb songs did their duty up the yin-yang (sic)").
1977, Educational Theatre Journal, volume 29, number 2, University and College Theatre Association.; American Theatre Association, page 280:We've got bananas up the yin-yang this week. Does anyone know how to make banana bread?
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| out the ying yang | alternative | lexicographic | |
| up the ying yang | alternative | lexicographic | |
| up the ying-yang | alternative | lexicographic | |
| up the yin yang | alternative | lexicographic |