"Readin' up"

So, someone (was it you, Ozzie?) referred to redin' up one's room in the comments section of my last entry. "To red up" or "read up" is something I grew up saying in my family (thanks to my mom). It means "to pick up" or "clean up" but unfortunately, 99.999% of the American population has no idea what it means, and so I have had to train myself not to say it anymore. It takes effort. Apparently, it is a colloquialism (sp?) originating somewhere in central Pennsylvania (thank you Wendi for any comments you care to share about PA) and most likely this origin is Pennsylvania Dutch, although I'm not sure. If you do a google search, and I have, there is one other entry for "red up." http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/43/messages/709.html

And they are dead on when it comes to the use I'm familiar with: "Okay kids, it's time to read up your room." My mom is always readin' up something. She'll say, "Your room needs read up!" Note the conspicuous lack of "to be" in the above sentence, not that I really need to point that out. Yes, people, I'm a hick. Surprise, I'm from Hagerstown.

So, if you have ever in your life heard this expression (besides your contact with me), please let me know! I would love to know more about where it comes from.