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Are you up to it?

Basil

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Lovers of the English language might enjoy this. (if you're not, you should get a chuckle anyway.) It is yet another example of why people learning English have trouble with the language.

Learning the nuances of English makes it a difficult language. (But then, that's probably true of many languages.)

There is a two-letter word in English that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is 'UP.' It is listed in the dictionary as being used as an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v].

It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP?

At a meeting, why does a topic come UP ? Why do we speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? We call UP our friends and we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car.

At other times the little word has a real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.

To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.
And this up is confusing:
A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.

We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night. We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!

To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions.

If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.

When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP . When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it wets UP the earth. When it does not rain for awhile, things dry UP.


One could go on & on, but I'll wrap it UP , for now

........my time is UP , so time to shut UP!


Oh...one more thing:

What is the first thing you do in the morning & the last thing you do at
night? U P

Don't screw up. Send this on to everyone you look up in your address book.

Now I'll shut up .
 

tony barnhill

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
Offline
Actually, most of those are examples of poor use of the language; for example:

At a meeting, why does a topic come UP ? Why do we speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write <span style="text-decoration: line-through">UP</span> a report? We call <span style="text-decoration: line-through">UP</span> our friends and we use it to brighten <span style="text-decoration: line-through">UP</span> a room, polish <span style="text-decoration: line-through">UP</span> the silver, we warm <span style="text-decoration: line-through">UP</span> the leftovers and clean <span style="text-decoration: line-through">UP</span> the kitchen. We lock <span style="text-decoration: line-through">UP</span> the house and some guys fix <span style="text-decoration: line-through">UP</span> the old car.

At other times the little word has a real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.

To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.
And this up is confusing:
A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.

We open <span style="text-decoration: line-through">UP</span> a store in the morning but we close it <span style="text-decoration: line-through">UP</span> at night. We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!

To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes <span style="text-decoration: line-through">UP</span> almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions.

If you are UP to it, you might try building <span style="text-decoration: line-through">UP</span> a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take <span style="text-decoration: line-through">UP</span> a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.

When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP . When the sun comes out we say it is clearing <span style="text-decoration: line-through">UP</span>. When it rains, it wets <span style="text-decoration: line-through">UP</span> the earth. When it does not rain for awhile, things dry UP.


One could go on & on, but I'll wrap it UP , for now

........my time is UP , so time to shut UP!
 

Steve_S

Yoda
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Almost every example can be explained by the word "up" being used to describe taking something to a higher level. Incorrect usage technically, but it's common to use a word in such a way in many languages.
 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin
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"Eats, shoots and leaves"

..couldn't 'ave put it better.
 

Gliderman8

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And then there's the use of the word when you are angry at someone:
UP Y***s :laugh:
 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin
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I fall back on history, Elliot... th' "reverse peace sign" Winnie has been photographed gesturing in countless publications.
 

Gliderman8

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You are right Doc.... I just didn't know how to exactly put here on the forum without it being my last post :laugh:
 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin
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We're safe, fer now...

But "subtlety" has never been my strong suit. :jester:
 

Gliderman8

Great Pumpkin
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Hey doc... are you sure you didn't grow up in NY like me?
 

aeronca65t

Great Pumpkin
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UP

My favourite part of Michigan.
grin.gif
 

Gliderman8

Great Pumpkin
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Or if you're in the hood you might say:
What UP?
 

DrEntropy

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Nope. I hate "City Kids". They cain't skin a squirrel proper. :jester:
 

Gliderman8

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Point well taken doc but "city guys" can get UPtown girls (thank you Billy Joel)
 

DrEntropy

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I'll take my li'l Uki peasant-girl over them flash...

Oh bother.

How fast can an UPtown girl pluck a chicken, or get a first round off ON target?!?! :devilgrin:
 

Banjo

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I was ruminatin' over Winnie earlier, was that gesture in use at the time to mean what it means now? In a documentary I watched with his granddaughter, she referred to it as his "victory sign" Course he may have known full well what it meant, knowing him. the ol' devil! hehehehe
And that's my favorite scene in LeMans....
 

tony barnhill

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Steve_S said:
Almost every example can be explained by the word "up" being used to describe taking something to a higher level. Incorrect usage technically, but it's common to use a word in such a way in many languages.
Absolutely correct, Steve....
 
OP
Basil

Basil

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Boss
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tony barnhill said:
Actually, most of those are examples of poor use of the language; for example:

Oh jeez! It was just meant to be fer fun, but you had to go and get all teknical! Waz UP wid dat?
 

tony barnhill

Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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Basil said:
tony barnhill said:
Actually, most of those are examples of poor use of the language; for example:

Oh jeez! It was just meant to be fer fun, but you had to go and get all teknical! Waz UP wid dat?
Jus' UP-ing the ante, Boss.....though had I known how long you had been up to the task, I wouldn't have upped your joke.
 

Gliderman8

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Relax guys... everyone is getting so UPiddy.
 
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Basil

Basil

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tony barnhill said:
Basil said:
tony barnhill said:
Actually, most of those are examples of poor use of the language; for example:

Oh jeez! It was just meant to be fer fun, but you had to go and get all teknical! Waz UP wid dat?
Jus' UP-ing the ante, Boss.....though had I known how long you had been up to the task, I wouldn't have upped your joke.

Your just being a DOWNer :hammer:
 
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