Idiom check with UK , Aussies and Kiwis.

[Tomh1966]

This is ?maybe? a US idiom.

do you all know what 'knocked up' means? UK, Australia and NZ.

 

[KimAwakened]

Made pregnant. Can also mean "roused" by another person in the sense that they knock on your door.

 

[Tomh1966]

Made pregnant. Can also mean "roused" by another person in the sense that they knock on your door.

Which country are you from?

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I'm a Yank, a Texan to be more specific, but I've also heard it used in the context of being tired by a friend or two down under. This makes sense to me, because if You're pregnant knocked up, your going to be tired knocked up sooner than later. The UK interpretation may have to do with your neighbors knocking you up to tell you to be quiet while you're fucking, which, of course is what leads to the American knocked up, and eventually to the Aussie/Kiwi knocked up.

 

[Tomh1966]

Was looking to see if UK Aussie and NZ readers know the idiom. Im doing my first romance story and its appropriate for the the area in the story but I dont know if it is a known idiom outside the US.

Im not close to done. One of those stories that started I figured 20K words. 41K words later...

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Serious answer via ChatGPT. If you're AI averse, please do not read.

The phrase "knocked up" has different meanings depending on the country and context. Here’s how it’s understood in various English-speaking regions:

United States & Canada​

• Pregnancy: In the U.S. and Canada, "knocked up" most commonly means "to get someone pregnant" and is generally used informally. For example, "She got knocked up," means that she became pregnant.

United Kingdom​

• Waking Someone Up: In the UK, "knocked up" has a different meaning altogether. Historically, it referred to someone knocking on a door or window to wake someone up, such as a worker knocking to wake someone for work. While less common today, it’s still understood in some contexts as "to wake someone up."
• Pregnancy (informal): The pregnancy meaning, like in North America, is also understood in the UK, although it's often considered more colloquial or slang.

Australia & New Zealand​

• Pregnancy: In Australia and New Zealand, "knocked up" is also understood primarily as slang for getting someone pregnant.
• Tired or Exhausted: Additionally, in Australia, "knocked up" can mean tired or worn out. Saying, "I’m feeling pretty knocked up," would mean you're feeling exhausted rather than referring to pregnancy.

Ireland​

• Pregnancy (informal): In Ireland, like in the U.S. and UK, "knocked up" most often refers to someone becoming pregnant, and it’s often used as slang.

The pregnancy meaning is widely understood in most English-speaking countries, but local expressions or historical meanings may vary in different regions.

 

[Writer61]

This is ?maybe? a US idiom.

do you all know what 'knocked up' means? UK, Australia and NZ.

In the UK, 'knocked up' would usually be understood as 'got pregnant' although I don't know how current it would be.

The older sense found by ShelbyDawn quite obscure these days, dating from company towns in early industrial times before people had their own alarm clocks. Being a 'knocker-upper' was an actual job.

 

[KimAwakened]

Which country are you from?

England. That 'pregnancy' is now understood over here ahead of 'roused' is down to US cultural imperialism and the fact that we're bombarded with a non-stop TV and film diet of transatlantic junk.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

England. That 'pregnancy' is now understood over here ahead of 'roused' is down to US cultural imperialism and the fact that we're bombarded with a non-stop TV and film diet of transatlantic junk.

"Happy to help." Sid the Yank with a wink and a sneer on her face.

 

[Tomh1966]

England. That 'pregnancy' is now understood over here ahead of 'roused' is down to US cultural imperialism and the fact that we're bombarded with a non-stop TV and film diet of transatlantic junk.

LOL. I watch a ton of UK Youtube channels about travel.

As for US content. Glad to help the residents of the United States most scenic and least mobile aircraft carrier.

 

[Bramblethorn]

England. That 'pregnancy' is now understood over here ahead of 'roused' is down to US cultural imperialism and the fact that we're bombarded with a non-stop TV and film diet of transatlantic junk.

If you knew how much of Australian TV programming in my childhood was BBC reruns...

 

[Kumquatqueen]

UK: would usually assume the getting pregnant meaning ahead of the woken meaning, unless it's someone saying "I'll knock you up in the morning", which wouldn't in itself be seen as funny.

 

[XerXesXu]

Two meanings in British English:
1. To create something 'ad hoc', eg; knock up a meal from the contents of the fridge.
2. Add water to a setting mix of cement and sand to make it workable. (Note: this does not work with Gypsum plaster.)

 

[Rustyoznail]

Getting knocked up is definitely getting pregnant. I've never heard of it meaning being tired, except after a long shag...

Like so many Aussie sayings, it's how you say it.

 

[mildlyaroused]

I'm from New Zealand. If you said "knocked up", most people here would understand what you meant - although I can't remember the last time I heard the phrase actually used over here. To me, "knocked up" has always made me think of someone getting beaten up, but that might be a personal thing rather than because I'm from New Zealand.

 

[Cagivagurl]

I am a Kiwi as well.
In NZ, knocked up can have several different meanings.
Such as. When something is knocked up, it could mean it was quickly constructed.
In a sentence... "Gee, they knocked up that phone box quickly."

However, it would be clearly understood, if you used it in a pregnancy concept.
"Bloody hell mate, you knocked her up?"
"Yeah bro, she's up the duff aye."
"Serves yah fucking right. I told you to use a bloody rubber."
Nek minitt.

Cagivagurl

 

[Writer61]

In a sentence... "Gee, they knocked up that phone box quickly."

However, it would be clearly understood, if you used it in a pregnancy concept.

This is the key point. It depends on the context, specifically the subject of the "knocking up".

If a meal or a house it is something done quickly.
If a man or a family it is rousing them.
If a woman then it is likely to mean pregnancy. The only possible confusion would be if you were trying to rouse her instead (there could be a story from that). But which should be clear from the wider context.

@Tomh1966 I think you are safe to use the term and have your meaning understood in the wider Anglo-sphere.

 

[yowser]

My kids for several summers attended a soccer camp in the US where a large number of staff were from the UK, usually university students during summer break.

On first days there were always presentations, introductions, talking about the program for us nervous parents leaving our kids for several weeks in the mountains.

The English staff member in charge of various health and hurt issues, young and keyed up (sounded like Yorkshire to me, definitely northern England) explained how they handled injuries and their process for how they dealt with players who got 'knocked up' on the field.

Of course a ripple of good natured laughter went through the crowd and the poor staff member looked blankly about, couldn't understand what she had said wrong.

We watched as when her turn was done and her neighbor on the lineup poked her in the ribs and whispered into her ear what the trouble with her phrasing was. Cheeks on the poor girl turned bright red, hand went to her face, huge embarrassment all around.

 

[jaF0]

I'm from New Zealand. If you said "knocked up", most people here would understand what you meant - although I can't remember the last time I heard the phrase actually used over here. To me, "knocked up" has always made me think of someone getting beaten up, but that might be a personal thing rather than because I'm from New Zealand.

I've heard that before, but I can't remember where.

 

[KimAwakened]

If you knew how much of Australian TV programming in my childhood was BBC reruns...

No doubt a reference to the dim and distant past.

As was only to be expected, since the UK was the progenitor culture, loosely speaking... as indeed it was with America... although as I say the flow there seems to have reversed itself, very sadly...

 

[Bramblethorn]

No doubt a reference to the dim and distant past.

Unkind to allude to my decrepit state, but leaving that aside, let's look at what Australian kids' programming is like today on ABC Kids.

Broadcasting begins at 4 am with Moon and Me (British), followed by Floogals (British/French), Odo (British), Olobob Top (British), Twirlywoos (British), Sesame Street (US), Daniel Tiger's Neighbourhood (US), Teletubbies (British), Bing (British), Numberblocks (British).

At 6:08 there's Ready, Steady, Wiggle - thirteen minutes of Australian content, the first of the day! But thirteen minutes later we're back to Old Blighty with Peppa Pig. Then Bananas in Pyjamas (Australian), Peter Rabbit (British), Tish Tash (British), Ben and Holly (British), Fireman Sam (British), Octonauts (British), Daniel Tiger again (US), Hey Duggee (British), Peppa Pig again (British), Bluey (Australian), Ginger and the Vegesaurs (Australian), The Adventures of Paddington (British), Thomas and Friends: All Engines Go (British), Andy's Dinosaur Adventures (British), and Play School (Australian).

That gets us to 9 am. I'm not going to do the whole day, but of those first five hours of programming there's about 200 minutes of British content, 55 US, and 45 Australian. Aside from a few minutes shared with the French on Floogals, nobody else gets a look in.

You'd probably find more US content on the commercial networks, but the UK is certainly still getting plenty of exposure here. Aside from that one "spiders are harmless" episode of Peppa which is not appropriate for Australian audiences...

I'm not going to audit the grown-up programming, but there's still plenty of BBC content there too. Doctor Who, Poirot, Midsomer Murders, Grand Designs, GBBO, and so many more.

As was only to be expected, since the UK was the progenitor culture, loosely speaking... as indeed it was with America... although as I say the flow there seems to have reversed itself, very sadly...

The idea that it's "only to be expected" that cultural flows should only be in one direction is pretty much the definition of cultural imperialism.

"Loosely speaking" is doing a lot of work there. About 4% of Australians were born in the UK; the numbers born in India and China are nearly as high, but you wouldn't know it from the programming.

 

[jaF0]

If you knew how much of Australian TV programming in my childhood was BBC reruns...

You have a problem with Mrs. Slocomb's pussy?

 

[Bramblethorn]

You have a problem with Mrs. Slocomb's pussy?

...and the fact that I know the reference rather proves my point here!

 

[Bazzle]

It would be a jokey comment about pregnancy?

"Oh did you hear the Joe finally/accidentally got his mistress/girlfriend knocked up?"

could be similar to

"On did you hear that Joe's mistress/girlfriend has got a bun in the oven?"

it's something of a conversation down the pub or office banter?

 

[jaF0]

"Wind your neck in."

::Gigglesnort::