Big up 变大

Big up – big up, two words.

As a phrasal verb - to big somebody or something up - 'big up the London crew'.

It can also be used as a noun 'a big-up' as in 'a big-up to all my people'.

It's an expression of respect or recognition, an acknowledgement of the value of another person or group.

It's one of many expressions that have come into English from the Caribbean, often from Jamaica, and it was the influence of Jamaican music and culture which made the word popular in the UK.

It was, and still is, used by reggae music artists to name-check other singers, sound systems and fans and has also crossed over into rap and hip-hop.

In the Caribbean itself, the term seems to have a variety of different meanings.

For example, when used as a noun, a 'big-up' is an important person, or someone with a certain status in the community, a politician or a policeman maybe.

Or, in Bahamian slang (from the islands of the Bahamas) 'big up' can mean to get bigger, referring to a pregnant woman.

From its origins within the context of reggae and dancehall music, the use of 'big up' has evolved and expanded.