Doc, I got this funny feeling…right up in here.
Then don’t be doin’ that, fool. Shee-it.
Great, now this thread has got me bouncin again,
Bouncin again, bounce-bouncin again
Funny people.
“Up” doesn’t refer to the place, it refers to the people involved.
Right. Up means active, aroused, energized, focused, like starting up an engine. You put your guard up. If somebody bothers you, you may get either your dander or your ire up.
Being in somebody’s face is confrontational, but up in somebody’s face is flat-out asking for a fight. Being in a nightclub means you’re there, but up in the club means you’re really on the scene.
Thanks for that spin on it, spark240, and an angle I hadn’t considered for some usages.
However, there do seem to be usages that imply some elevated position held by the speaker, and it’s those where the “exalted position” is vague or puzzling.
This may be an imagined situation, but it’s not too far from some I can almost remember:
Plaintiff: This gal ran off with my man and my gold watch.
Defendant: Ain’t done it. He wasn’t your man and that watch ain’t even gold.
Judge: Y’all need to get a story I can believe up in here.
I like using it in this way:
Doctor: Now can you tell me where the pain is located?
Me (making a circular gesture around face): All up in this area here, Doctor. All up in here!