high up the stick —(dated sl.) standing high in one’s profession:
- All my acquaintance among the doctors are so high up the stick, they have no time to spare…
up the stick—(UK sl.) pregnant:
- Mary is up the stick; funny how everyone counts the months.
Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the verbal phrase up sticks—(also: up stakes) leave one’s home or settled way of life and move on to another place:
- What on earth impels a man … suddenly to up sticks and come back to this distressful country?