up for the downstroke

English

Etymology

From the Parliament album Up for the Down Stroke (1974) and the eponymous song.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Adjective

up for the downstroke (not comparable)

1. (slang) Ready to get funky; ready to dance with abandon.
   • 2013 November 14, Ed Masley, “10 best Parliament and Funkadelic albums”, in The Republic:

     The horn-fueled title track gave Parliament their first Top 10 appearance on the Billboard R&B charts, doing James Brown proud with its stuttering funk groove, its singalong chorus imploring us all to “Get up for the downstroke.”

   • 2018 March 20, “The 40 Best Music Shows in Seattle This Week: March 19-25, 2018”, in The Stranger:

     George Clinton is still a touring machine at age 76, still getting up for the downstroke, still giving you more of what you're funking for, still tearing the roof off the sucker.

   • 2018 July 24, Nikki Love, “George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic deliver a funky good time”, in Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder:

     The second those iconic beats dropped, we knew it was time to “get up for the downstroke.”

   • 2018 September 1, “The South London Soul Train Halloween Special with Afro Cluster (Live)”, in Resident Advisor:

     Time to get seriously up for the downstroke. Prepare to dance harder y'all!

Usage notes

• The expression is used in a variety of forms. DJs, for example, may ask the audience, "are you up for the downstroke?" (i.e. ready for excitement and dancing), or alternatively demand that the audience "get up for the downstroke". Inverted forms ("down for the upstroke") are also sometimes seen, such as in the lyrics of "Musicology" by Prince.