Meanings
adverbhead down, bum up (not comparable)
- UKnot comparableslangvulgarHard at work; preparing oneself to work hard.
Hadn't heard a thing. Hard at work, head down, bum up.
2007 April 6, Gold Coast Bulletin, "Call of Sea Sirens"Synonyms: head down, ass up, nose to the grindstone
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbHard at work; preparing oneself to work hard.
Also see
Origin
From an assumed position of strenuous work. Compare nose to the grindstone.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
head down, bum up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/head%20down%2C%20bum%20up
MLA
“head down, bum up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/head%20down%2C%20bum%20up. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “head down, bum up,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/head%20down%2C%20bum%20up.
Source: head down, bum up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.