In Fight Club (1999), Narrator hugs Bob, who is victim of testicular cancer:
Bob: OK, you cry now.
Narrator: No, wait. Back up. Let me start earlier. For six months, I couldn't sleep. I couldn't sleep...with insomnia, nothing's real.
What does "Back up" mean in this context?
You say back up when you want to pause a conversation and return to something that was just said.
back up
4. verb To return to an item previously mentioned.
Whoa, back up—Janet and Jim are getting married?
(TFD)
I'm guessing that the narrator is about to explain why he won't cry. Or maybe he wants to divert Bob's attention and avoid crying.
