Basically, another way of saying "Shut up and take it like a man" or "Quit your whining." The term is derived from the popular image of cowboys being tough, unflinching, uncomplaining, and hard-working.

Another incredibly vacuous term that no longer has the same meaning it initially did, thanks to cultural theft and abuse by people who aren't really cowboys at all, but bored, middle-class white people. It used to mean to toughen up or approach a problem with a hard attitude, but now is used to refer to anything requiring effort, or anything in which people are competeing against each other.

People sport the logo on their clothing or their car because they think it gives them credibility as a cowboy or a redneck, since it is now cool to be associated with these groups once again. But when you get down to brass tacks, most fans of the cowboy up marketing scheme are those who have no connection with the cowboy way of life at all. See poser, git er done and white trash.

A term used by small city fire departments when a Big City Fire Fighter takes initiative to accomplish a task during an emergency without being told to do so.

Used in the same sense as the expression "get yourself together." Often heard with an expletive.

What your fat hillbilly neighbor says when he's ready to get going.

An incomplete phrase from Broke Back Mountain meaning "cowboy up your ass".

Phrase used to describe to action of taking a deep breath, forgetting about the pain and fear, digging down deep, and carrying on to the end.