to say "uppity" doesn't mean upset or wound up

[CoalTit]

I've never heard anyone say "uppity" in real life; only ficticious racists from the southern USA in books and films, and it's always followed by that racist word I won't write for fear of getting banned. From that I inferred that it means "getting above yourself", and has a pretty nasty meaning.
In the last year or so I've seen it used a lot on mumsnet, where people seem to use it to mean upset or agitated. I've just looked it up in a dictionary and yes, it means putting on airs, being pretentious or acting superior.
What do you understand by "uppity"?

To me, uppity just means "getting above him or herself". I understand in the US it was commonly used as part of a pejorative term for black people and has different connotations.

I've never heard anyone under 60 use it in the UK. It's usually 'up themselves' or 'snob'. Its also definitely in Gone with the Wind if you read it, a couple of times, in a derogatory, racist way. Scarlett's black "Mammy" describes non slave black men that way at one point. Can't remember the other off top of my head.

I always took it to mean someone who has ideas above their station. It's not really associated with race in the UK, more classism.

I’ve always associated it with rebellion, not snobbishness (ie different from “up yourself”

I would use it to mean snobbish, but with no justification, like hyacinth bucket.

Thinking about it, I never use it at all! But actually I think the posters who said their mum used to use it in the 1980s to mean a stroppy agitated child would reflect when I have heard it being used.

Behaving as if you are superior or thinking your opinion is more worthy than someone else's. Not something I'd say often but I have been known to say "don't get uppity with me" while wobbling my head..

In the US it used to be used as an adjective, 'an uppity ', we can't alter our use of words to match other parts of the world.

NearlyGranny

In an age of equality, it's a word we don't need and should forget. It was used by white people of black people who aspires to education, voter rights, home ownership, job security and a fair share of the pavement. It was used by men of women who expected to be listened to, enjoy bodily autonomy and financial independence. It's use was often swiftly followed by acts of violence to control and suppress the 'inferior' who had breached unwritten rules and stepped out of line.
This is exactly what I wanted to say, it's a word that has no place now.

We used uppity as cheeky nothing yo do with race at all

YANBU.

The connotations have been well discussed, but you are correct that it does not mean upset.

Also, when you are "ignorant", that does not mean you are ignoring somebody! I have a friend, you know who you are, who's always misusing "ignorant" that way.

I was really surprised when I saw the stuff about Megan Markle recently as I had no idea that uppity had racist connotations. I'm guessing that the history of its use in the UK is very different to its use in the US.
I don't think I've ever used it myself, but I do have fond memories of the Mr Men book (he was burgundy, not brown)

It has no racist connotations at all to me. Just means unnecessarily superior. Rude.

In my part of England it is used by men about women who are, in their opinion, too forthright. Women who argue their corner and don't defer.

For that reason I would like not to hear it, as its sexist. The man who says it at my work is late 30s so not old!

However, and I know people will disagree, I find the sort of cultural steamrollering from the USA a bit irritating. We are different cultures with different histories. We share a language. This is the nth post on here stating that X is a universal fact, when it is particular to USA. It is interesting to learn that some words have different connotations in different countries, and for sure this is not a word I would use, because of the sexism in it, here. And good to know that it has racist connotations in USA. But, to state that is universal connotation is dubious.

Probably not expressed that very well.