It seems like a lot of people are using the phrase "Get your [insert word] on," and I'd like to know what the origin of that phrase is.
There seems to be much use of the phrase "Get your game on," but is that the original phrase? If not, what is? How did this whole thing start? I'm guessing it started in a more obscure subculture and has spread uncontrollably to the mainstream, to the point where even advertising is saying "Get your chocolate on" or whatever.
So if anyone out there knows the answer, please let me know so I can post it here.
The Polyglot Conspiracy seems to provide a good answer: http://polyglotconspiracy.net/?p=306
ReplyDeleteApparently, its popularization all started with Missy Elliott's Get Ur Freak On in 2001, and Big Tymer's Get Your Roll On. The question is: where did they get the inspiration for verb-ing a noun in this way?
Thanks--it seems like a lot of mainstream phrases come from hip hop or rap or other urban culture because this has been happening for years, via pop culture or just widespread usage.
ReplyDeleteIt probably derives from "word" as in "word up" and means nothing in particular but at the same time MANY things. It seems to be entirely context dependent.
ReplyDeletehttp://transubstantiation.wordpress.com/
Yeah, it's quite meaningless, but it's getting to the point where it's becoming trite.
ReplyDeleteMaybe further back. In 1996, Prince had the song, "Get Ur Groove On."
ReplyDelete