up for the downstroke

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Ready to get funky; ready to dance with abandon.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

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.”

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “up for the downstroke” mean?

Ready to get funky; ready to dance with abandon.

Is “up for the downstroke” formal or informal?

up for the downstroke is generally slang.