I think using "trip up" in the Diary instead of "trip over" would have been an undeniable, unequivocable trip up for the Author. But once again, he is too clever, when adding an object or abstract to an idiom in his personal diary or, in this case, leaving it out to again create something unseen in public print of the time.
Here's is the earliest use I've found so far for "trip up" by itself to mean "make a mistake". 1911. It wasn't an exhaustive search by any means so I'll keep looking. I also didn't find any examples of "trip over" without an object but it was still more common back then for making a mistake than "trip up" and was therefore the best choice. Or the cleverest.
Printing Trade News - Volume 40 - Page 30
books.google.ca › books
1911
FOUND INSIDE – PAGE 30
... The gain to the customer in accepting the lower figure is more apparent than real and every once in a while you get tripped up. "
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Trip Over for Trip Up
In all the discussion about "one off" used in conjunction with an abstract, we all missed the use of another idiom, one which has largely been replaced with another one that can be used with or without an object or an abstraction, but the Diary uses the earlier idiom which is always used with an object or abstraction and uses it uniquely without one. Am I tripping over myself here? Or did I trip up again?
Sir Jim trip over
fear
have it near
redeem it near
case
poste haste
He believes I will trip over
but I have no fear
I cannot redeem it here
For I could not possibly redeem it here
Of this certain fact, I could send him poste haste
if he requests that be the case.
Am I not a clever fellow
...
He believes I will trip over,
but I have no fear.
For I could not possibly
redeem it here.
Of this certain fact I could send them poste haste
If he requested that be the case
Is the Author not a clever fellow?
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