(slang, AAVE) To take care of business; to get on with doing something.
“They can either hang handle up ("mountain man style") or handle down.”
“When carried handle up, a normal style leather sheath can be used.”
"handle up" comes from African-American Vernacular English or Multicultural London English and means to take care of business; to get on with doing something. It has spread well beyond its origin through hip-hop, drill, TikTok and gaming, so a teen of any background may use it. It is not in itself a sign of bad behaviour; it is a style of speech the way 'cool' or 'wicked' once was. The conversation worth having is about respecting where the language comes from, not about banning the word.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "handle up".
Slang from Black American Vernacular English (AAVE), hip-hop, drag and ballroom culture, the Caribbean, and NYC street vocabulary. The single largest source of new mainstream English slang in living memory.
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“Currently, the airport has the ability to handle up to 1.”
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