Namaste! You must login or signup first!

Meme Encyclopedia
Media
Editorials
More

Popular right now

Catturd Running Over His Dog Twitter / X.

Catturd Running Over His Dog

Owen Carry

Owen Carry • about a year ago

Italian Brainrot / AI Italian Animals image and meme examples.

Italian Brainrot Animals

Mateus Lima

Mateus Lima • about a month ago

Zendaya Theory / Zendaya Big Hat Theory image example.

Zendaya Big Hat Theory

Phillip Hamilton

Phillip Hamilton • a day ago

Abigail Shapiro wearing pearl necklace and pearl earrings and a black top

Abigail Shapiro

Philipp Kachalin

Philipp Kachalin • 5 years ago

Tung Tung Tung Sahur meme image examples.

Tung Tung Tung Sahur

Sakshi Rakshale

Sakshi Rakshale • about a month ago

Know Your Meme is the property of Literally Media ©2024 Literally Media. All Rights Reserved.

When You Up Pole

Added 5 months ago / Updated 5 months ago
Uppppbol

Submission   3,324

Part of a series on AAVE / African American Vernacular English. [View Related Entries]

A meme using the phrase "when you up pole." The term "pole" is "AAVE":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/aave-african-american-vernacular-english slang that means gun, and is used similarly to slang terms like "strap" or "stick." The phrase "when you up pole" came to be used to joke about people acting meek and scared after learning that you have a gun.
A meme using the phrase "when you up pole." The term "pole" is "AAVE":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/aave-african-american-vernacular-english slang that means gun, and is used similarly to slang terms like "strap" or "stick." The phrase "when you up pole" came to be used to joke about people acting meek and scared after learning that you have a gun.
A meme using the phrase "when you up pole." The term "pole" is "AAVE":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/aave-african-american-vernacular-english slang that means gun, and is used similarly to slang terms like "strap" or "stick." The phrase "when you up pole" came to be used to joke about people acting meek and scared after learning that you have a gun.
A meme using the phrase "when you up pole." The term "pole" is "AAVE":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/aave-african-american-vernacular-english slang that means gun, and is used similarly to slang terms like "strap" or "stick." The phrase "when you up pole" came to be used to joke about people acting meek and scared after learning that you have a gun.
A meme using the phrase "when you up pole." The term "pole" is "AAVE":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/aave-african-american-vernacular-english slang that means gun, and is used similarly to slang terms like "strap" or "stick." The phrase "when you up pole" came to be used to joke about people acting meek and scared after learning that you have a gun.
A meme using the phrase "when you up pole." The term "pole" is "AAVE":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/aave-african-american-vernacular-english slang that means gun, and is used similarly to slang terms like "strap" or "stick." The phrase "when you up pole" came to be used to joke about people acting meek and scared after learning that you have a gun.
View All 9 Images

0
When You Up Pole slang and meme example depicting rapper J Cole.

When You Up Pole

Part of a series on AAVE / African American Vernacular English. [View Related Entries]

Updated Dec 04, 2024 at 12:46PM EST by Zach.

Added Dec 04, 2024 at 01:51AM EST by sakshi.

PROTIP: Press 'i' to view the image gallery, 'v' to view the video gallery, or 'r' to view a random entry.

This submission is currently being researched & evaluated!

You can help confirm this entry by contributing facts, media, and other evidence of notability and mutation.

About

When You Up Pole is an AAVE slang phrase used to describe being armed or "strapped" with a gun. The expression "when you up pole" refers to how people treat you differently when you are carrying a firearm. The use of the word "pole" as slang for a gun was popularized in the 2010s through rap music, with the phrase becoming popularized in memes after being paired with images of people looking scared or holding up their hands in the early 2020s.

Origin

The term "pole" or "smoke pole" has long been used as a euphemism for "gun" or "rifle" in the English language, with literary examples such as Wesley Ellis' Lone Star dating as far back as 1994.[1]

However, the popularization of the term "pole" to describe a gun in AAVE can be traced to the songs from the 2010s, such as Chief Keef's 2012 track "Love SOSA,"[2] in which he raps, "And he keep that pole, boy," or the 2017 Trippie Red ft. 6ix9ine song "POLES 1469,"[3] in which they rap, "you know we tote them poles."



The phrase "up pole" and "up pole on you" gained traction in 2017, as seen in an October 12th, 2017, post by X / Twitter user @Onlyonebod_[4] that read, "Gotta up pole on him smh," gathering over 100 likes.

However, the expression "when you up pole" only gained traction in 2023, as seen in a November 28th, 2023, tweet by X user @aimlessburner[5] that read, "How niggas be when u up pole," gathering over 7,000 likes in a year.


The earliest known viral use of the phrase "when you up pole." The term "pole" is "AAVE":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/aave-african-american-vernacular-english slang that means gun, and is used similarly to slang terms like "strap" or "stick." The phrase "when you up pole" came to be used to joke about people acting meek and scared after learning that you have a gun.

Spread

On December 27th, 2024, X[6] user @dielikejay reposted an Instagram meme of unknown origin, showing a Black man holding up his hands with the text "How niggas be when u up pole," gathering over 4,000 likes in a year.


A meme using the phrase "when you up pole." The term "pole" is "AAVE":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/aave-african-american-vernacular-english slang that means gun, and is used similarly to slang terms like "strap" or "stick." The phrase "when you up pole" came to be used to joke about people acting meek and scared after learning that you have a gun.

On April 15th, the Instagram[7] page @dloc_mtm posted a photo of rapper J. Cole holding up his hand alongside the phrase "when u up pole," gathering over 400 likes in six months.


A meme using the phrase "when you up pole." The term "pole" is "AAVE":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/aave-african-american-vernacular-english slang that means gun, and is used similarly to slang terms like "strap" or "stick." The phrase "when you up pole" came to be used to joke about people acting meek and scared after learning that you have a gun.

On October 11th, 2024, the Instagram[8] page @jussjalen posted a sketch about how people react when you "up pole," gathering over 5,900 likes in two months.



On December 3rd, X[9] user @poopingduck25 posted a tweet sharing a "pole up" meme in a Discord server, with two other participants asking what "up pole" means. The post gathered over 6,000 likes in a day.


A meme using the phrase "when you up pole." The term "pole" is "AAVE":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/aave-african-american-vernacular-english slang that means gun, and is used similarly to slang terms like "strap" or "stick." The phrase "when you up pole" came to be used to joke about people acting meek and scared after learning that you have a gun.

Various Examples


A meme using the phrase "when you up pole." The term "pole" is "AAVE":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/aave-african-american-vernacular-english slang that means gun, and is used similarly to slang terms like "strap" or "stick." The phrase "when you up pole" came to be used to joke about people acting meek and scared after learning that you have a gun. A meme using the phrase "when you up pole." The term "pole" is "AAVE":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/aave-african-american-vernacular-english slang that means gun, and is used similarly to slang terms like "strap" or "stick." The phrase "when you up pole" came to be used to joke about people acting meek and scared after learning that you have a gun. A meme using the phrase "when you up pole." The term "pole" is "AAVE":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/aave-african-american-vernacular-english slang that means gun, and is used similarly to slang terms like "strap" or "stick." The phrase "when you up pole" came to be used to joke about people acting meek and scared after learning that you have a gun.
@haslem.1k Made it thru whatever storm #haslem1k #haslem_1k ♬ Transgression – Kodak Black

@izayatijistann ✋😆🤚 #xaviersobased #fyp #fypシ #fypage #fypシ゚viral #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #viral #viralvideo #viraltiktok #trend #trending #newtrend #blowthisup #newtrending #memes #blowthisupforme #foryou #foryoupage #foryoupageofficiall ♬ 90 down the block by xaviersobased CYBER SPEED – cyberundergr0und

Search Interest

External References

[1] Wiktionary – Smoke Pole

[2] YouTube – DGainz

[3] YouTube – FCK THEM

[4]  Twitter – Onlyonebod_

[5] Twitter / X – aimlessburner

[6] Twitter / X – dielikejay

[7] Instagram – dloc_mtm

[8] Instagram – jussjalen

[9] Twitter / X – poopingduck25

Related Entries 18 total


View All Related Entries

Recent Videos

There are no videos currently available.

Recent Images 9 total

     
Share Pin

Related Entries 18 total

Periodt
Periodt
Bunk_status
Unc / Unc Status
Screen_shot_2018-03-14_at_11.46.24_am
Wig
Atecover
Ate That / Thought You Ate

View All Related Entries

Recent Images 9 total

View All Images

Recent Videos 0 total

There are no recent videos.





+ Add a Comment

Comments (0)

There are no comments currently available.

Display Comments

Add a Comment


Suggest a Change   Edit History

Meme Encyclopedia
Media
Editorials
More
KYM facebook KYM instagram KYM tiktok KYM twitter/x KYM youtube KYM discord KYM discord

Legal Information: Know Your Meme ® is a trademark of  Literally Media Ltd . By using this site, you are agreeing by the site's terms of use and  privacy policy and  DMCA policy .

© 2007-2025 Literally Media Ltd.