7 Up

English

Alternative forms

• 7up
• Seven-Up

Etymology

Brand name of the 1930s, of uncertain origin. Some theories include:

• The product of 7 ingredients: sugar, carbonated water, essence of lemon and lime oils, citric acid, sodium citrate, and lithium citrate; and “Up” referring to the lithium mood lift.
• Originally sold in 7-ounce bottles, unlike most other soft drinks (6oz).
• Its inventor, Charles Leiper Grigg, saw cattle branded with a similar mark and drew inspiration from it.
• Grigg thought of it while rooting for sevens during a game of craps.
• That its pH is over 7, which is false—actually 3.79.
• A coded reference to the lithium it originally contained, which has an atomic weight of around 7.

Noun

7 Up (countable and uncountable, plural 7 Ups)

1. (trademark) A lemon-lime-flavored, non-caffeinated soft drink.

Usage notes

• As of 2017, the drink is branded 7 Up in the US and 7up in other territories.

Derived terms

• 7 Up cake

Translations

soft drink

• Arabic: سڤن أپ
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 七喜 (cat¹ hei²)

  Mandarin: 七喜 (zh) (Qīxǐ)

See also

• seven-up