Meaning
What does Stoved Up mean?
Stoved up (also known as stove-up) is an idiomatic expression, meaning that something is sore, stiff, or in pain.
If a person or animal is stoved up, they are suffering from discomfort, and may be unable to work or function.
Origin
What's the origin of Stoved Up?
This expression has its roots set in American English. The word’s etymology suggests that it derived from the past tense of the verb ‘to stave’.
Staving is an action that includes a long, pointy object that is used to poke a hole in the side of a boat.
Originally, this colloquial term was used in language mostly in a literal sense.
However, currently it is unclear who introduced its informal meaning to modern English.
Spread & Usage
How did Stoved Up spread?
The term belongs to the group of the lesser-known idioms in the English language.
Although most native speakers are familiar with its meaning, it is rarely used in modern conversations today.
There is an online podcast series which uses the expression as part of their title, called The All Stoved Up Podcast.
It is produced by Ian Steward and can be found on YouTube.