up a tree | Idiomator

Meaning: (idiomatic,dated)In or into adisadvantagedordifficultsituation;at a loss;cornered.1864,Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, chapter 53, inUncle Silas:"I'm a bitup a tree, Miss," he said shuffling his feet on the oak floor. "I behaved a fool."1891,Laura E. Richards, chapter 14, inHildegarde's Holiday:I found the doctor in his study, and the whole room full of rods and lines and reels. . . . When he called me to come and look at his flies I was allup a tree, and didn't know what he was talking about.1894,Robert Barr, chapter 7, inIn the Midst of Alarms:"Oh, I'mup a treeagain. I see I don't even know the A B C of this business."1904,O. Henry, “The Handbook of Hymen”, inHeart of the West:"You're a liar," says I, a little riled that Idaho should try to put meup a tree.1909,P. G. Wodehouse, chapter 40, inMike: A Public School Story:The general consensus of opinion in Outwood's during the luncheon interval was that, having got Downing'sup a tree, they would be fools not to make the most of the situation.

Examples:

EN: Climbed up a tree and was trying to get in the second story window.
ES: Trepó a un árbol y trataba de colarse por la ventana del piso de arriba.
EN: Oh, I haven't shimmied up a tree in many a day. Whoo! Wow!
ES: Hace mucho tiempo que no trepo a un árbol.
EN: You know, Major Ranny was the fire-eatin'est soldier... that ever chased a Yank up a tree!
ES: ¡El mayor Ranny fue el soldado más valiente... en hacer subir un yanqui a un árbol!
EN: Well, Ann, I'm still up a tree.
ES: Bueno, Ann, yo sigo inmóvil, como un árbol.
EN: Go on. Fly up a tree where you belong.
ES: Váyanse, vuelen a la copa de un árbol, donde pertenecen.
EN: If you're ever down a well, ring my bell lf you're ever up a tree, phone to me
ES: Si caes al fondo de un pozo, toca mi timbre. Si te subes a un árbol, llámame.
EN: [Orchestra playing] * not so long ago * * things looked pretty slow * * in fact, the world seemed barely up a tree, sir * * so, young brown said with a sigh, "toodle-oo, cheerio, good-bye" *
ES: No queda mucho tiempo... La vida se va poco a poco... El mundo parece estar mal hecho...
EN: A woman who gave the name of little chicken wanted you to know that "Poppa's boy is up a tree."
ES: Una mujer que decía llamarse Gallinita... quería que usted supiera que "el niño de papá se subió a un árbol".
EN: Hans, our experiment's up a tree.
ES: Hans, el experimento se subió a un árbol.
EN: Our monkey's up a tree.
ES: Nuestro mono está subido a un árbol.
EN: Like the time Daggett, here, caught you up a tree with a blonde.
ES: Como cuando Dagget lo vio a usted en un árbol con una mujer.
EN: - We're going up a tree, William.
ES: - Treparemos un árbol.
EN: Got you up a tree. - Way up on the top branches.
ES: - Bien, ni media palabra.
EN: You got the wrong bear up a tree, Judge.
ES: Se equivocaron de hombre, juez,
EN: No time at all he was up around and carrying some blonde up a tree.
ES: Al poco tiempo subió una rubia a un árbol.

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