The Royal Swan Upping is the annual census taking and a health check of swans on the Thames. It occurs ever year in the third week of July.
The swans on portions of the river that go through Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire Surrey, and Middlesex are owned by the Queen.
It began in the 12th century. Up-to-date information about it is in a fine article this week in the Guardian, “A cygneture event: what is swan upping?”
More information
Queen’s official website for this: http://www.royalswan.co.uk
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_Upping
What’s the vocabulary at this event, what can we expect to hear?
Onlookers might say?:
“Wow, look at that one, I’d sure like to up her”
“Has she been upped yet?”
Swans might say?:
“Please up me”?
“Ouch, I think I’ve been upped”?
“Up yours”?
But aren’t these mute swans, they don’t speak?
