elbows up

phrase

a command to play with physicality in ice hockey, as in the style of Gordie Howe

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Meanings

phrase
  1. hobbiesa command to play with physicality in ice hockey, as in the style of Gordie Howe
    1. Canadabroadlyinformalgovernmenta rallying cry to protect Canada, in reference to the defensive physical posture in ice hockey

      Elbows up. Elbows up.

      2025 March 1, Saturday Night Live, season 50, spoken by Mike Myers
      1 more example

      We can't be a punching bag, and we have to get our elbows up.

      2025 January 29, Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba, speech

Origin

From Gordie Howe's prominent use of elbows while fighting in ice hockey. Political usage emerged during the 2025 United States trade war with Canada and Mexico and following Donald Trump's calls to annex Canada to the United States.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

elbows up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elbows%20up

MLA

“elbows up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elbows%20up. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “elbows up,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elbows%20up.

Source: elbows up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.