Wikianswers.com says the most common thought about the origin of this expression is the cartoon character Bugs Bunny who frequently inquired “What’s up, Doc?” A reference to ‘whatsup’ was in a short story The Adventures of Shamrock Jolnes and Sixes and Sevens published in 1911 by the famous O’Henry. The character Shamrock Jolnes says, “Good morning, Whatsup.”  Jack London’s The Sea Wolf written in 1904 has a character inquiring of Wolf Larson, “What’s up?” Bugs Bunny appeared in 1940, and probably is responsible for making the phrase popular.

The Phrase Finder describes that this expression means to divulge a secret either inadvertently or maliciously. One theory is that the expression had its origin with a voting system used in ancient Greece using white and black beans, with a single black bean preventing passage. If the collector spilled the beans before the vote was complete and a black bean was seen, the vote wasn’t counted. However, the phrase wasn’t recorded until in the early 20th century. “Spill was used in the 14th century with to mean spilling blood and killing, and it was used to mean divulge in the 16th century. It was used in U.S. in the 20th century to mean “spoil the beans” or “upset the applecart.”  It was first used in 1911 to mean upsetting a stable situation by talking out of turn.

The Phrase Finder says that the expression means is to be tired of, bored with, annoyed with or in general to have enough of something or someone. There is an old English proverb that “enough is as good as a feast.” “Fed up” probably comes from the unpleasant feeling that comes from eating more than is good for us. The expression dates back to the 19th century when overfed aristocrats were compared to farm animals that were force fed to make them plump for market. There was a cynical section of an English newspaper article in The Middlesex Courier published in 1832 that argued a Duke could not have hanged himself, because he could not have possibly stood on a chair and tied the knot.  The writer observed about such aristocrats, ” Every thing being done for them, they never learn to do anything; they are fed up…”  Sometimes the expression is used in the extended forms “fed up to the eyeballs,” or “fed up to the back teeth.”

This idiom is used to describe becoming exhausted, giving out, or giving up. Charles Funk in “A Hog on Ice” writes that Lincoln used the expression as a young man, and that the term appears to have originated in America. Mr. Funk speculates that it refers to the Biblical description of the apostle Peter reacting to the seizing of Jesus by grabbing a sword and rushing off to his defense. Within a few hours his enthusiasm has diminished to the point that he denied he even knew Jesus three times. However, the Phrase Finder writes that the term comes from American miners who in the mid 19th century would use it to describe dwindling yield for their efforts. The French word “peter” means to break wind, explode, or fizzle. Saltpeter is a name used for potassium nitrate, a component of gunpowder and fuses. The author speculates that last connection is the most logical explanation for how the expression found its way into the language of miners.

The book of expressions “A Hog on Ice & Other Curious Expressions” by Charles Funk (available for a dollar at Abebooks.com) says the remark is used by another in a cutting manner when we deny that we ever wanted something that we find to be unattainable. Sour grapes are mentioned in the Bible in reference to the ancient proverb, “The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” However the expression and the current meaning come from Aesop’s fable about the fox that tried in vain to reach some delicious looking grapes. He reasoned the grapes were probably sour and inedible, so it was just as well that he hadn’t been able to reach them.

Answers.com explains that this expression was believed to have originated in the 15th century to describe navigation of ships through straits where it “…took experience and a steady hand to make safe passage…” There are many straits where the passage is difficult and perilous, and an error results in shipwreck. The expression evolved to mean any difficult or perilous situation, according to Mr. Mark Frees, professor of naval history. There is apparently a London rock band that adopted the name, although I don’t know I would want to listen to a band named after an expression meaning difficult or perilous.