# "Glow Up" - have you heard this phrase before?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glow-up-have-you-heard-this-phrase-before/763281>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 19, 2016, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glow-up-have-you-heard-this-phrase-before/763281 "2016-08-19T10:02:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glow-up-have-you-heard-this-phrase-before/763281/21 "2016-08-25T21:25:58Z")

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Gonna give all the Glown Ups here a chance to see Sophia in a TV news report released today, talking about the San Antonio Food Bank:

[http://www.twcnews.com/tx/san-antonio/giving-back/2016/08/24/high-school-freshman-propels-san-antonio-food-bank-to-new-heights.html](http://www.twcnews.com/tx/san-antonio/giving-back/2016/08/24/high-school-freshman-propels-san-antonio-food-bank-to-new-heights.html)

Her mother is in the green shirt. I am not there.

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glow-up-have-you-heard-this-phrase-before/763281/22 "2016-08-25T22:40:37Z")

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> [@Macca26](#):
>
> Anyway, urban dictionary tells me that it’s a slang term that came into play sometime in the summer of last year (the hip hop video came out months later) and is exactly what’s described: the maturation of a person into someone “fine”.

That reminds me of “blossomed” in the sense of a gawky/young teen becoming a more mature, attractive teen – but does “blossomed” mostly refer to breasts/curves getting bigger/“filling out”?

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glow-up-have-you-heard-this-phrase-before/763281/23 "2016-08-26T19:06:31Z")

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> [@gigi](#):
>
> That reminds me of “blossomed” in the sense of a gawky/young teen becoming a more mature, attractive teen – but does “blossomed” mostly refer to breasts/curves getting bigger/“filling out”?

I’ve heard it like that, and I’ve heard it more neutral sounding. When it’s said in that euphemistic way it means what you described. But I’ve heard it also in the context of a shier girl opening up, or a tomboy starting to dress pretty. So it can’t just mean that.

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