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?

How on earth did you get that so wrong? 🤣

OP I've heard the phrase in the context you mean. When I was originally doing training for a hospitality job - 20ish, entry level waiting/bar staff - it was used as an example of how you sometimes see staff in a busy outlet - busy working, yes, but with head down & arse up they couldn't be paying adequate attention to the needs of their customers/greeting new ones/keeping up eye contact etc. We were told that was what they didn't want to see with us, ie you can be busy but remain engaged. But to me it always sort of meant to knuckle down and get on with it. Now that I've read this thread it still means that but the 'it' is doggy-style.

& I've just re-read 'entry level' in a whole new context

I’m pretty sure Two Live Crew didn’t make up that song based on a saying about studying

I thought this might be a yoga thread!

As a motorbike rider, head down, arse up, is a common phrase for riding a sports bike

Scottish side of my family say 'Right, head down, arse up', meaning let's get working really hard and no complaining about it. My auntie said it to me just the other day :-)

Head down, arse up. Heard the song but still means work hard. I always imagined it having housework links - like scrubbing floors.
Similar in use to 'roll your sleeves up'.

I feel your shame OP- I once asked my 16 year old if he wanted to go home to watch Netflix and chill with me...

If it makes you feel slightly better my mum used to call my sister "A ride" in arguments when they would say insults to each other. My mum was mortified when I told her eventually to stop calling her that as she was calling her a do it. She thought it meant pain in the arse as in when you go on a rollercoaster "ride" and you get shoved around so much you're in pain 😂

*calling her a slut

Head down means working hard.

What does arse up have to do with studying? It's a sexual position

I have never heard that phrase. i've heard "Heads Down" meaning get your head down to work. Arse up? Why would you put your arse up to revise? Only one meaning conveyed to me!

I love how young people think they ‘own’ something and it’s new 🤣

‘Head down, arse up’ was around LONG before any of these songs. It simply means to work hard. ‘Arse up’ in the statement is the reference to being physically grafting not lazing about, but it doesn’t actually have to be physical these days to apply. It’s all about context, in the same way that ‘head down’ can be used to mean work, study etc OR take a nap.

Obviously though, your daughter knows what you mean as you’ve no doubt said it plenty in the past 😂. I wouldn’t give it another thought tbh.

Head down, ass up ....

That’s the way we like to fuck?!

Iv never heard it in any other way except with a sexual reference

I always thought ‘head down, bum up’ meant to just get on with things, and use the phrase quite a bit. But I thought it came from cycling!

Never heard of the expression myself, but...

Hi OP.

Whilst I definitely made the rude connection, I showed this to my wife who said “yeah, means you are really busy, too busy to come up for air”

She then followed it up by saying “I would say it at work, in fact I think I said it to my boss this week”...

(She is now banned from using this saying at work!!!!)

Another one who didn’t know what Netflix and Chill meant until I almost put it in a presentation I was giving. The youngster in the team had to have a quiet word with me

Rather a coarse phrase anyway.

Face down, ass up that's the way we like to fcuk.

Never heard of it in a phrase meaning work hard either.

OP. I’ve heard the phrase “head down, bum up’ to mean work hard. I always assumed it was a mining term. I’ve used it at work. Now I’m thinking about how often I’ve said it.

Honestly my first thought was indigestion. Good way to summon up a fart if you have trapped wind.

Oh, OP, your dd is probably having a great laugh with her friends now.

I would go apologize maybe as you didn't know. If you think there's a chance that she also doesn't know, i might speak to her as you really do not want her to use it as you do either.

To be fair, my dc have corrected me several times lately, as with this newly politically correct era has changed many innocent phrases that I've used since childhood into racist phrases.

I'm getting very tired of worrying about this, so am basically rejecting the use of phrases bc I'm not racist and i am also annoyed with society and word police.

I'm getting old and cranky.

thesnapandfartisinfallible

Based on my experience of anal, that would take care of the problem anyway.