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tolled over

Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

bring it to

English answer:

to challenge (slang)

Added to glossary by Adele Oliveri
Oct 29, 2008 10:46
15 yrs ago
3 viewers *
English term

bring it to

English Art/Literary Slang Phrasal verb
Hello,

context: the Author is talking about how Lisa Nova, an amateur filmmaker, made a parody of Diddy/Puff Daddy's video on YouTube where he proclaimed himselft "king of music and fashion". Here's the sentence:

"Nova had no hip-hop credentials whatsoever, but she still managed to **bring it to** one of the movement's most famous icons because she kept it real".

What does "bring it to" mean here?

I understand credentials is plural, so "it" should not be referring to credentials. I know "bring to" means "revive, bring back to life", but then "it" should not be there.

Any clues? Thanks :-)
Responses
3 +3 to challenge (slang)
4 she managed to make it become ´------
3 +1 make it to; become
2 make a statement about
2 relate it to
Change log

Oct 29, 2008 12:36: d_vachliot (X) changed "Field (specific)" from "General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters" to "Slang"

Discussion

Carol Gullidge Oct 29, 2008:
inferred, without sounding unreasonable. This being the case, in your position, I'd contact the author for clarification, perhaps presenting some of the alternatives posted below as possible interpretations.
Carol Gullidge Oct 29, 2008:
Hi Adele: I really wouldn't like to hasard a guess as to the intended meaning here. I don't think it's a matter of being slang, but quite simply of not making sense as it is written. As you see from the answers posted, almost any interpretation could be
Adele Oliveri (asker) Oct 29, 2008:
Hi Carol, I can't really comment on the writing as such. I guess the writer is doing it on purpose, he is writing about youth cultures so he is using slang and very colloquial expressions. And slang is often grammatically incorrect :-) As I keep reading the sentence, it dawned on me that "bring it to" could mean something like "challenge"... Would that make sense?
Carol Gullidge Oct 29, 2008:
Hi Adele: I'm afraid this is a case of very bad writing, that consequently doesn't really say anything. All that can be guessed is that "it" refers to the film she made, which was a parody....

Responses

+3
1 hr
Selected

to challenge (slang)

Well,

as you said Adele, it's slang. From the Urban Dictionary:

bring it 112 up, 5 down

Used as a "manly" come back to someone who is either being challenged or it can be offered as a direct challenge to another;

Similar expressions:
"Show me what you got!"
"Do your worst"
"Bring your shit!"
"Go for it!"
Basketball Player 1: "Im gonna slam dunk yo punk ass."

Basketball Player 2: "Ahhhight, bring it bitch. Let's see what you got!"

I think it fits the context nicely. Besides, we're talking about Puff Daddy :-)

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Note added at 1 hr (2008-10-29 12:35:07 GMT)
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http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bring it on

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Note added at 1 hr (2008-10-29 12:35:58 GMT)
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http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bring it
Note from asker:
Hi Dim, thanks for that (and for changing the field of the question!) I should have thought about the urban dictionary (I am using it a lot for this book) - seems to confirm what I thought. But maybe Carol is right, I should contact the author about this.
Peer comment(s):
agree Demi Ebrite : This is common American slang, used in the realm of music and fashion, particularly, hip-hop. I have heard it in use in broadcast media as well. It means 'deliver' ~ 'bring it to me', 'bring it to the crowd'. Horrible, but true.
30 mins
Thank you, debrite.
agree Michelle Tarnopolsky
3 hrs
Thank you, Michelle.
agree Caroline Moreno : Yep Debrite's right.
15 days
Thank you, Caroline.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you Dim and thank you all for your help. I've re-read the whole thing and "challenge" fits the context well."
31 mins

she managed to make it become ´------

would be my suggestion
Peer comment(s):
neutral Cilian O'Tuama : but what is "it"?
6 hrs
to judge by the answers submitted so for, 3 of them suggested as part of the idiom. one might just as well say < she managed to bring about or to achieve one of the ....>
Something went wrong...
33 mins

make a statement about

I can understand your problem with the sentence. As you say, it's not necessarily grammatically correct, but as a native speaker that shouldn't necessarily stop me understanding it, even if it makes me wince.

In this case, I'm not really sure I do understand the meaning. but my best guess wouyld be that she succeeded in making a valid statement about this person. It worked because she stuck to the facts - that was important because she didn't know anything about him or his music.

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Note added at 40 mins (2008-10-29 11:27:06 GMT)
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The other possibility would be "she managed to bring it to the attention of ..." ie people like it, it went up the listings (you know - the system of asterisks where people vote for things they like) and finally came to the artist's attention. If it hadn't been popular, he'd never have known about it.

But I don't really like that theory as there's no real logical link between the cause and effect here.
Note from asker:
Hi Sheila, thanks. "Make a statement" sounds very plausible, too. The whole chapter is about "real talk", i.e. being truthful about what you say. So "make a statement" could work.
Something went wrong...
+1
8 mins

make it to; become

Just a gut feeling.

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Note added at 59 mins (2008-10-29 11:46:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

should be "make it to be or become".
Peer comment(s):
agree Cilian O'Tuama : my understanding too in the context - managed to become/succeeded in becoming
6 hrs
Thank you very much!
Something went wrong...
1 hr

relate it to

One can only guess with a sentence like this. here's my two-penn'orth (two cents-worth)
Something went wrong...
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