What "Getting Up In Someone's Face" Means (in African American Vernacular English)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post provides definitions for the phrases "getting up in your face" & "getting all up in [someone's] face". Examples of that body gesture are presented in this post from videos of stomp & shake battle cheers.

The content of this post is presented for sociological and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

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DEFINITIONS
[Additions & corrections of these definitions are welcome.]

“To get up in someone’ face" is an African American derived slang phrase that means to literally or figuratively disrespect and confront another person by putting your face very close to that peerson's face. A person can "get [up] in someone else's face" by leaning his body over towards a person. Or a person can actually move into his or her opponent's personal space until they are standing eye to eye.

A person who gets in another person's face may have different facial expressions. She or he may be smirking, or my have a closed mouth slightly smiling face as if to say that what she or he is doing is of little importance to her or him. People who get in someone's face can also have a mean, angry look which is similar to one of the looks people wear when they are "grittin on" someone, except that th African American derived term "grittin" usually is connected with staring for a long period of time with an ugly [dirty] look on one's face.

In addition to one's facial expression and how one hold his or her torso, a person who is silently, saying insulting or challenging comments ["instigating"], or yelling in another person's face may also make insulting or challenging finger gestures or hand gestures at that person ("give the person the finger", or do the "don't even go there" hand gesture that is the same as or very similar to the "talk to the hand" gesture.) "Putting your hand in someone's face" commonly ignites a physical confrontation.

The word "all" in the phrase "gettin all up in someone's face" acts as an intensifier. Although it's not necessarily the case, the word "all" means that the person puts his or her entire body in his or her opponent's face [personal space].

“Getting up in someone's grill” is a synonym from African American English for "Getting [all] [up] in someone's face". "Grill" means "face".

Note that "to get up in someone's face" is similar but not the same as the phrase "in your face". Here's a definition of that phrase from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in-your-face

"Definition of “in your face” - characterized by or expressive of bold and often defiant aggressiveness ; also: aggressively intrusive
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Also, the phrase "in your face" may refer to something that is very obvious. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GVWIaESSWA for a vlog whose title reflects that usage, and whose commentater uses "in your face" to mean something "is so obvious that if it was a snake it would bite you."

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CHEERLEADING VIDEOS THAT SHOW THE LEAN FORWARD "GETTING UP IN SOMEONE'S FACE" BODY GESTURE

Example #1: WSSU CHEERLEADERS 2010-11 Basketball BATTLE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkpOiVssR0s

[embedding disabled by request]

cavettaj, Uploaded on Jun 11, 2011

RAMS BACK IN THE CIAA... taking names!
:::: finishing off Livingstone in a friendly battle::::
WSSU vs Livingstone 2010-11 [WSSU=Winston Salem State University]
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That cheer is entitled "You Get No Respect In Here". It is given as the third cheer in this video: WSSU CHEERLEADERS GETTIN' CRUNK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyRaRAge3PE
"Getting Crunk" means to get hyped [excited], to be hard (in the street sense of that word), to act "real", without any polite restraints] Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crunk for information about the word "crunk".

Also, click http://cocojams.com/content/stomp-and-shake-cheerleader-cheers for the words to that "You Get No Respect In Here" cheer.

Example #2: BEN L. SMITH AND EASTERN GUILFORD CHEER OFF



ORIGINALCHEERPHI, Uploaded on Feb 21, 2008

THE EAGLES LETTIN' THE WILDCASTS KNOW THEY AINT READY TO ROCK WITH THEM AT THE ULTIMATE CHEER & DANCE EXPERIENCE TRIAD HIGH SCHOOL CHEERLEADING COMPETITION 2007
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“Wildcasts” is probably a typo for “Wildcats”.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/rock-steady-childrens-cheer-examples.html for the words to that squad's second cheer "Rock Steady".

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RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/06/what-grittin-on-someone-means.html

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