[Note: This entry was previously date up v phr.]
date v [ date n] Cf ante up v 2, dake v
With in or up: In marble play: To put (target marbles) into the ring as stakes; to stake marbles; hence ppl adjs dated (up) having staked marbles, nouns date-up(s) the marbles staked.
1936 Chula Vista Star (CA) 31 Jan 7/4, The boys have a “grab dates” as they call it. Everybody dates in and the game goes along smoothly until somebody yells, “grab dates.” Then everybody makes a dive for the dates and comes out with as many as he is able to pick up. He is allowed to keep what he gets. 1942 Berrey–Van den Bark Amer. Slang 665.3, Marbles put in the ring as a stake. . . date-up, date-ups. Ibid 665.4, Ante up, date up, to put marbles in the ring as a stake; date one up, -two up &c. to “date” a designated number of marbles. Ibid 665.5, Dated (up) . . having marbles in the ring. 2012 Bowman Don’t Play 63 sCA (as of 1930s), Kids who lived on my block began salivating at the prospects of luring me into our initial game, realizing that one game of Big Boston, in which each competitor dated up twenty-five or thirty marbles, would enhance their stash.