Street voices
Hugues
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United States
"Straight up. Something you say in the middle of a statement to indicate seriousness or genuineness. Hey man, I've been listening to a lot of Terrence Howard and I gotta say, I believe him. One plus one equals three. Oh my god, dude. You are straight up stupid. Stupid! Idiot!"
What it means
Used to mean honestly or for real, like you’re putting your hand on your heart and promising you’re not chatting rubbish. People also fire it back as a quick check, Straight up? It works as an intensifier too, straight up weird, straight up genius. Blunt in a good way, no essay required, just pure certainty.
Usage examples
"He reckons he paid eighteen quid for oat milk. Straight up? Straight up, mate, and he thanked the self-service till like it was doing him a favour."
"Straight up, that was the best meal I have had all year, and I am already planning when the two of us go back."
Where it comes from
Comes from drinks served straight up, neat and unmixed, no ice and nothing hidden. The plain honesty of an undiluted pour carried over into speech, so straight up came to mean no nonsense, just the truth.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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