What is the meaning of the phrase ‘up and at ‘em’?
Get up and get going, or get busy with a task or strategy.
What is the origin of the phrase ‘up and at ‘em’?
The phrase ‘up and at ‘em’ is a contraction of a slightly longer phrase ‘up and at them’, which in turn is suspected to have derived from another longer phrase ‘Up, guards, and at ‘em’.
It is believed to have military connotations, as an instruction to confront the enemy.
There has been speculation that the saying was first used in the year 1850 when the English beat Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo. The Duke of Wellington, an influential military leader and politician,.is thought to have used the latter phrase as a war cry, to inspire action against the enemy.
However, there has also been talk of the phrase being used as a battle cry during the Peninsular War between Spain, Portugal and the UK against the French empire between 1807 and 1814, but this has not been confirmed.
The phrase ‘Up and at ‘em’ became further popularised around 1909, when it was used in World War I, before being used in World War II as well.
Today, the meaning of the phrase has expanded so it’s not solely used as a war cry, but usually more of a way to express enthusiasm for taking on any challenge, or metaphorical battle.
Be careful not to mispronounce the phrase. ‘Up and Adam’, ‘Up and atom’ are both incorrect.’, ‘Up in at ‘em” are all incorrect.
If you want to use the phrase as an adjective before a noun, to convey readiness and enthusiasm, you can hyphenate each word as follows: up-and-at-em.
What are some notable uses of the phrase ‘up and at ‘em’?
The phrase ‘up and at ‘em’ has also been used in literature, including John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939, and in films, including the Rocky series and the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series in 2008.
