Head down, a** up?

[Thisisthelaststraw]

Dh and I have been having a conversation with dd about studying for exams. She has not been applying herself so I was saying she needs to put down the phone and get working hard if she wants to see results. I used the phrase “head down, a** up” meaning get working hard and forget all distractions. I’ve heard it many times in my 40 years and that’s what it’s always meant.

When dd left the room dh said “you need to stop saying that”. I asked why and he informs me they’re the lyrics to a song with sexual meaning. I looked it up and it is.

I feel weird now as dd is 18 and probably knows this song and though I’m pretty sure she knows that’s not what I’m talking about it’s just left me feeling bothered.

AIBU to think this was actually a phrase that means exactly what I think long before it became a song with another meaning?

I think it’s very much a cultural thing.
I can easily imagine myself as a baby dicking around with solids in my high chair and my mum sitting there saying “c’mon, head down, bum up, get on with it” .

Maybe those in the UK just have dirty minds, who knows. I did ask one of my kids who was home and they looked at me very blankly and thought it very obvious it means to concentrate and get on with it. I imagine they will say the same to their kids.

I only know the 'working hard' meaning but I wonder if it's because our family is Irish so it was associated with farming/picking, etc, where your head would be down and your arse up

en.wiktionary.org/wiki/head_down,_bum_up

similar saying means get on with working hard on this link

My mum used to say "head down, arse up" meaning knuckle down and concentrate on a task when I was a teenager and it embarrassed the life out of me. I'm sure she had no idea that song existed but I did so her choice of phrase was creepy and sexual thanks to those lyrics!

Have never heard that saying before. I thought this was going to be a post along the lines of ‘AIBU to think the teacher shouldn’t have changed the words from thumbs up to arse up at school?’ and I couldn’t picture how a class could play the game (without it being grossly inappropriate) if it wasn’t their thumbs they put up! 😂

I've only ever heard it in a making sexy context too. I can understand it re digging peat, but surely your daughter's attempts at studying will be thwarted if she does indeed put her arse up. You have to sit at a desk to do that.

My mum used to call my baby carrier a "strap-on". 😀

Heard it used and used it to mean getting on with a task. In the military for physical tasks it often goes 'head down, arse up, brain in neutral'. A way to through an early morning PT session.

"Head down ,arse up ,thats the way we like to f*ck "
First thing that popped in my head, used to love that song 😂

I've heard one of the contestants on Australian Masterchef say it before. I took it to mean work hard.

I've never heard the song.

This has made my day hahahahahaha

I'm sure your DD will see funny side

@Weetabixandshreddies - When I did maternity rotation as a student midwives often used that expression to describe a baby in cephalic presentation ie not breech but in the "right" position for birth.

In a completely different workplace setting, we used this phrase to explain how the letterheaded paper went into the printer (much to Eric's disgust).

Not ARSE, BUM. Arse up is definitely sexual.

Arse and bum is interchangeable, surely?

Can someone tell me the song? I don't want to google

I immediately thought of the ducks a dabbling, haven't heard the song.

My nan calls the cupboard under her stairs a bogey hole!

Oh this thread has made me laugh. I needed it! Loving the baby carrier strap-on

I can’t believe so many of you managed to find more links to my meaning than the only one I could find.

I’ve now listened to the song and know why I don’t know it. Though my taste is music is broad I never liked whatever type that song is.

Interesting the other posts from Irish MNers. I’m Irish

What would arse up have to do with studying?

I like the Irish explanation of peat cutters bending down with spades..heads down and arses up. You can console yourself with that one!

Never ever heard the arse up bit. Head down in isolation is totally connected to revision.

I've heard the phrase 'get your head down' and I've heard 'get your arse in gear', but never 'head down, arse up', at least never in a non-sexual context.

Only ever heard it in the sexual sense and I also thought of the song lyrics

This is the song...

In biker world its a type of motorbike that means when you ride it due to the position of the handlebars and seat you are head down arse up

This thread is hilarious and cringe.

I've never heard of the saying, or the song.

The only thing I've heard of is heads down thumbs up which is what I thought the thread was about.

Sorry to say but I thing it's a horrible saying if it is indeed a saying.

Your post actually made me cringe 😬