Rock/Rock up

Origin of: Rock/Rock up

Rock/Rock up

British informal for to arrive, often unannounced or unexpectedly. Dates from the 1960s and derives from rock ‘n roll in the sense that it replaced roll up which also means to arrive but is much older and dates from the mid-19th century. If something ‘rocks’ it means that it is exciting and this term of approbation is originally an Americanism that dates from the 1960s.