tree up

[frindle]

Hello. Please tell me what 'I had to tree up' means in this context below.
(The speaker is a tree in his school play.)
Thank you.



I decided not to tell Flora about the Mayor or the photographer (coming to our school play).
She was looking sick enough already.
We didn't get time to talk anyway.
I had to tree up and she had to queue for green eyelids.

[JMurray]

I had to tree up and she had to queue for green eyelids.

It's an unusual phrase but it makes sense because you have given us the context of the school play.
It means to put on the costume that makes him look like a tree.
The usage is similar to a phrase like:
"He wanted her to glam-up for the big night out" – to make herself look glamorous

I would be inclined to use a hyphen for both terms, tree-up and glam-up.


not a teacher