I’ve Got Your Back

I’ve got your back is a colloquial phrase used to signify our attention and care toward a loved one.

The phrase is originally used to express that one is looking out for the most vulnerable parts of the person in question; their back.

The exact origin of the expression is not known, although it has several war and military implications.

One possible root for the phrase can be traced back to the era of sword fighting, when warriors would fight back to back in order to protect each other’s’ behinds.

This hypothesis, however is unconfirmed.

The more recent and more likely origin of “I’ve got your back” can be found in World War 2, when soldiers entering buildings and rooms were exposed from the back, requiring their brothers in arms to watch their backs.

This is supported by the fact that the army jargon for “I’ve got your back” is got your six.

Examples of the phrase would show up in documents starting in the 1980’s.

Since then, “I’ve got your back” became an idiomatic phrase telling loved ones that we’re looking out for them.

The phrase was first defined on Urban Dictionary in 2003.

• Quora – What is another way to say “I’ve got your back”?
• Urban Dictionary – I’ve got your back