Redd Up / Read Up?

[Mark Odegard]

>The word is properly written "redd", according to the dictionaries,and
>pronounced the same as "red".
>
>I have seen it written as "red", "rett", "ret", and I've heard it
>pronounced "ret" (a very small distinction). I don't remember hearing
>anything like "reed up" or "reet up" but it wouldn't surprise me if I did.
>
>Possibly the radio expression was a version of "re-up" = "sign up again"?
>
>-- Doug Wilson

I've never heard 'redd up', and my natural tendency would have been to
interpret it as 'rev up', to increase the number of revolutions of an
engine, to warm up an engine: to energize.

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com