Am I the only person to use "punch up" to mean "remind someone"?

I have heard this phrase used before, however it is a bit archaic now as the word punch has quite violent connotations.

The words generally used now are prod or poked, but I think even they are going out of fashion.

I just prodded/poked Jane, she needs to turn in her vacation schedule.

This is probably because they all imply inappropriate touching.

Also, it is very similar to the modern slang of punching up or punching, which is short for the idiom punching above your weight.

This means to be in a relationship with someone who appears to be much more attractive/successful, which obviously is entirely unrelated to reminding someone of something.


Although “punch up” as a reminder may be unfamiliar, the term “punch list” is in regular use in the construction industry. It refers to items the contractor needs to complete before full payment is made.

See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_list.