Where Does the Term Souped up Come from?

Soup's up! Souped-up must at root derive from super, as in supercharger. This term for a device to increase the pressure of the fuel-air mixture in an engine to improve its performance is known from 1919.

Where did the saying souped up come from?

Soup up originated in the U.S. in the late 19th century, though it wasn't widely used until the 20th century. Its exact origins are unknown, but it could be short for supercharge, or it might come from a horse-racing slang term for injecting horses with narcotics meant to make them run faster.

What does souped up mean in slang?

: enhanced or increased in appeal, power, performance, or intensity also : elaborate, embellished.