sex up

sex up
sex up
This colourful phrasal verb meaning ‘to present (information) in a more interesting or lively way’ dates from the 1940s, originally in AmE. It was given a substantial boost when the British Prime Minister was accused of misleading the country by publishing in 2002 tendentious information about the aggressive intentions of Saddam Hussein of Iraq. Even when sexual connotations are still present, these circumstances continue to influence all subsequent usage:

• It should come as no surprise that this racy Nineties comedy comes from Andrew Davies, the man credited with ‘sexing up’ Jane Austen —Daily Mail, 2007.


Modern English usage. 2014.

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  • Sex — Sm std. (20. Jh.) Entlehnung. Entlehnt aus ne. sex Geschlecht, Geschlechtsverkehr , dieses aus frz. sexe, aus l. sexus (das männliche und das weibliche) Geschlecht , zu l. secāre (sectum) scheiden . Entsprechende Entlehnungen über das Englische… …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

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