front up
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Forms: form: fronts up
form: fronting up
form: fronted up
form: fronted up
Senses: examples: text: Likewise, Causer (2005) stated that 'we wouldn't get that support [from African governments] if we didn't have the UK government fronting it up . . . so it needs to be government led . . . we wouldn't be anywhere at all without a UK government lead.'
ref: 2009, Tim Gray, Amy Stewart, The Governance of Water and Sanitation in Africa, →ISBN:
text: Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Crosbie, the lead for the Major Investigation Team, was fronting it up, but she wouldn't have expected anything else. A highprofile case always suits the suits.
ref: 2016, Craig Robertson, Murderabilia: Everyone has a hobby. Some people collect death., →ISBN:
text: Coming into a new team – especially fronting it up —can be tricky if you're replacing someone who didn't, let's say, want to leave the post, but the results of my predecessor spoke volumes: volumes of crime.
ref: 2016, Clive Driscoll, In Pursuit of the Truth, →ISBN, page 127:
glosses: To lead or represent.
examples: text: "Like this when you left for Suakin?" Patrick asked as he fronted up to the bar with the smaller man beside him.
ref: 2007, Peter Watt, To Chase the Storm: The Frontier, →ISBN:
text: Back in Brisbane on the Tuesday morning, I fronted up to have my knee checked out by Doctor Lars, an orthopaedic surgeon.
ref: 2011, Kevin Crowe, Whistle up a Storm, →ISBN, page 81:
text: So I fronted up Saturday afternoon at the usual time to find quite a crowd of blokes waiting to go to work.
ref: 2013, Terrence Edward Creek, Grandma's Cookie Jar, →ISBN, page 99:
text: The word went around that the local butchers, Ian Tait and Ron Smith (Smithy), wanted an apprentice. H.O. and I fronted up to see them and I got the job.
ref: 2015, Dave Sharp, Wind Up The Windows We’re Coming In To Land, →ISBN:
glosses: To show up; to appear or present oneself.
examples: text: Honestly. We'd fronted up and given it our best shot.
ref: 2012, Michael Bauer, Don't Call Me Ishmael, →ISBN:
text: Sven was under a lot of pressure as it was at the end of the week when England had lost to Northern Ireland and we had him and Lawrie Sanchez on set. England were in a mess but he fronted it up.
ref: 2012, Martyn Smith, The Premiership in Focus, →ISBN, page 184:
text: I fronted up. I had little idea that this was what I was doing at the time, but in hindsight, I always did it. I always fronted up and allowed life to present itself to me.
ref: 2012, Joanne Marree, Win-Win Clear Heart Clear Mind, →ISBN, page 116:
text: We took a lot of kids on that trip, and they fronted up. The Russians fronted up too.
ref: 2016, Gerry Thornley, Front Up, Rise Up: The Official Story of Connacht Rugby, →ISBN:
glosses: To meet with one's best efforts.
examples: text: He might have been the business when it came to knocking the bollocks out of little babies, but fronted up by a real man that gutless coward went to pieces and buggered off without arguing.
ref: 2003, Lenny McLean, The Guv'nor, →ISBN:
text: We fronted up to the fact that we'd be there until we got the whole nightmare sorted out for ourselves.
ref: 2012 -, James Miles, Paul Loseby, Banged Up Abroad: Hellhole, →ISBN:
text: He's been the fat guy. He's had cancer. He has fronted up to both and sorted them out.
ref: 2012, Buck Shelford, Buck Up: The Real Bloke's Guide to Getting Healthy and Living Longer, →ISBN:
text: And, really, the proof of the untruth is the nature of Ronnie himself: he was hardly someone who would stand by, uncomplainingly, while someone purloined one of his songs and not even mention it until years afterwards. He would have fronted it up with me there and then.
ref: 2013, Rod Stewart, Rod: The Autobiography, →ISBN, page 146:
text: It is difficult to summarise the arrogance, contempt, complacency and incompetence shown by the DfT in a scheme where it strong-armed the rail industry (in the form of the Rail Delivery Group) to 'front up'.
ref: 2023 August 9, Nigel Harris, “Comment: Disinterested and dishonest”, in RAIL, number 989, page 3:
glosses: To face; to confront or challenge.
examples: text: I also get a bit of a laugh about how forgiving the then priesthood was, when I fronted up to the Catholic priest, who was looking after a small church hall on Glynburn Road to apologise for knocking off the church association's tea and biscuits money tin.
ref: 2012, DF Ryschka, Too Young to Vote But Old Enough to Kill, →ISBN:
text: And they do have a case: I would feel a lot better about myself if I just fronted up to Amy and told her the truth about working here for real three days a week.
ref: 2013, Emlyn Rees, Josie Lloyd, Come Together, →ISBN, page 131:
text: If he asks for longer, then you start the blackmail by saying you've been honest with him by fronting it up before the deal rather than firing him afterwards.
ref: 2016, John Uttley, Where's Sailor Jack?, →ISBN:
glosses: To admit or confess.
examples: text: The second training was $800, and someone I met through the first training wanted to make sure that I continued on; so they fronted up the money, and I paid them back.
ref: 1999, Michael S. Long, If Your Dreams Are Big Enough, the Facts Don't Count!, →ISBN:
text: After extracting the truth, Alan's parents had fronted up the money to pay off his debt.
ref: 2014, Linda Rickard, Divine Fury, →ISBN, page 82:
text: So, I was helping him find a job, paying for his petrol to get to interviews, and I also fronted up the cash for a motel. He told me he'd pay me back once he got himself together again.
ref: 2015, Tim Weaver, What Remains, →ISBN:
glosses: To pay in advance or give with the expectation of being reimbursed later.