English, baby!

grown up

Date: Jan 16 2003

Go Super!

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

“We’re raising two children, and that is the most important thing. You have to be really grown up about it.”

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

mature, responsible, adult

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

You can use “grown up” whenever you’re talking about maturity and responsibility. Adults are supposed to act grown up. Parents often want their children to act grown up, but kids usually don’t want to. If you’re a kid, acting grown up can be boring. For example, if your parents have a party, they might ask you to come, but only if you act grown up while you’re there.

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

””Mike acts very grown up for a 12 year-old. He’s very mature for his age.”“

””Stop acting like a child! You’re 22 years-old. You need to start acting more grown up!”“

””You can’t always expect others to take care of you. At some point you have to be more grown up and take care of yourself.”“

””If we want our relationship to work, we’re both going to have to act very grown up. We can’t argue about stupid things all the time.”“

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

You must be mature. You must think of your children and not just your sad feelings.
by Jan
Regarding the next slang, grown up, it means “to be mature and experienced”.
by Rodrigo (Sao Paulo – Brazil)
I think the ‘be grown up’ refer to ‘become mature; get over the childishness’.
by Antonia (UK)
Grown up here means being mature,behaving appropriately as an adult,taking responsibility as a parent,thinking and doing things fitting one’s age.
by Grace (Toronto)
Grown up means adult, in this case, grown up would mean responsible?
by Marialba
I believe it means when adults get more mature about its relationships and understands about its commitment with their children.
by Renato
Grown-up means that you really have to be an adult about it, to be mature regarding the responsabilities you have to face.
by Caroline (France)
I think grown up means to be mature. In this case, it could also means responsible.
by Ana
Here grown up means : that they have to act like adult & forget about their problems,& do not interfere or mix their children life with their problems,so simply they have to act like adult.
by Desiderata (Faiha, Kuwait)
To be grown up about something is to take it seriously, is to be responsible about the subject, is to act like an adult.
by Marcia
I think “Grown up” in this context means something that is related to a expert about children.. someone who knows what children wants.. A person who is expert about children will be an adult.. And so.. I think “Grown up” means.. Adult…^^
by Lee
I think “grow up” means to become mature, like an adult. It could refer to growing physically or developing mentally. Here Nicole Kidman meant she has to be mentally mature enough to handle the thing she mentioned.
by Yi-ping (Hsinchu, Taiwan)
Grown-up here means being adults with mature mind or thinking to do mature’s doing.
by Sally (Shanghai, China)
“Be grown up” means “to behave in a responsible way” for example, He is grown up, even a child…......
by Hyoungwoni (Kong-ju, South Korea)
It means being mature in handing a certain situation.
by Tina (Jakarta, Indonesia)
I guess “grown up” that mean someone should be maturer and respond in something.
by Cosette
“Grown up” means “matured”.
by Cecilia (Taipei, Taiwan)
Grow up -> to be or become adult, to be responsible.
by Fabiana (Santos)
Grown up means be mature and get over the past.
by Ivy (Penang,Malaysia)
I think it means “strong in character”, to be strong enough to handle the conditions.
by Gioacchino (Italy)
“Be really grown up,” be mature.
by GC
I guess what she meant was being serious, more mature by paying more attention to something or putting into more efforts to achieve something.
by Vincent (Hong Kong, PRC)
To be “grown up” means ” to be an adult or to be physically and mentally mature, independent”
by Najib (Abu Dhabi, UAE)
Grown up; means matured enough to take up responsibilities and deal with daily life affairs.
by Daikinserv
“Grown up” means to think big! to leave the past behind and think in
practical manner and act in a matured way.
by Anjali (Doha Qatar)
Grown up means alert / wise.
by Mr.Yami (Najran, Saudi Arabia)
Grown up in this context seems to tell people, especially parents, should be enough mature to deal with things in life, like raising children.
by Jocelyn (Taipei, Taiwan)