BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.

Subject: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: Peace
Date: 20 Sep 08 - 06:13 PM

It's from the www somewhere.

"You lovers of the English language might enjoy this....

There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is "UP."

*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 writeUP 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 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 1/4th 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 the earth and often messes things UP.
*When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP.

Fess UP.... you like this!

One could go on and 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"

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 20 Sep 08 - 07:29 PM

So what's the difference between "slowed up" and "slowed down"?

And why do we say we've "broken up" when a relationship stops working, but "broken down" when a car stops working?

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 21 Sep 08 - 08:17 AM

""broken up" when a relationship stops working, but "broken down" when a car stops working?"

A machine 'breaks DOWN' when it stops working

An object that falls apart (into many pieces - see 9 below), even a relationship 'breaks UP'.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/UP

Function:
    adverb
Etymology:
    partly from Middle English up upward, from Old English ūp; partly from Middle English uppe on high, from Old English; both akin to Old High German ūf up and probably to Latin sub under, Greek hypo under, hyper over — more at over

Date:
    before 12th century

1 a
(1): in or into a higher position or level ; especially : away from the center of the earth
(2): from beneath the ground or water to the surface
(3): from below the horizon
(4): upstream 1
(5): in or into an upright position [sit up] ; especially : out of bed
b: upward from the ground or surface [pull up a daisy]

c: so as to expose a particular surface

2: with greater intensity [speak up]

3 a: in or into a better or more advanced state
b: at an end [your time is up]
c: in or into a state of greater intensity or excitement
d: to or at a greater speed, rate, or amount [prices went up]
e: in a continual sequence : in continuance from a point or to a point [from third grade up] [at prices of $10 and up] [up until now]

4 a
(1): into existence, evidence, prominence, or prevalence
(2): into operation or practical form
b: into consideration or attention [bring up for discussion]

5: into possession or custody

6 a: entirely , completely [button up your coat]
b: used as an intensifier [clean up the house]

7: in or into storage : by [lay up supplies]

8 a: so as to arrive or approach
b: in a direction conventionally the opposite of down:
(1): to windward
(2): northward
(3): to or at the top
(4): to or at the rear of a theatrical stage

9: in or into parts

10: to a stop —usually used with draw, bring, fetch, or pull

11: for each side [the score is 15 up]
~~~~~~~~~~
"The more you learn, the less you know"

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: Mooh
Date: 21 Sep 08 - 08:35 AM

"Up yours" would make a lovely toast if it didn't mean something else altogether.

Up yours! (Say it cheerily.)

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: rumanci
Date: 21 Sep 08 - 08:43 AM

Throw up and throw down got missed out too.    Glad THEY don't get mixed up !   LOL

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 21 Sep 08 - 08:33 PM

And then there was that business self-help book: "Up your bracket!"

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: Alice
Date: 21 Sep 08 - 08:36 PM

Bruce, you crack me UP.

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 21 Sep 08 - 08:51 PM

I've racked my brains but I just can't come up with anything good to post on this thread.

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: Alice
Date: 21 Sep 08 - 09:10 PM

Some people say what's UP, some say waz-UP, like I said, you crack me UP.

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: Mrrzy
Date: 21 Sep 08 - 10:17 PM

Scene from my niece's childhood:

Hey, Veronica, what's up? (Said by the grandmother)
Veronica, aged 2 or 3: slowly looks up to see what's there...

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: Alice
Date: 21 Sep 08 - 11:27 PM

A toss UP
(does that come from flipping a coin?)

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 22 Sep 08 - 05:11 AM

Referring to the earlier query aboutn the difference between "broken up" and "broken down": the use of "up" indicates finality, completeness, a going to the limit. So:

Relationship "broken down" = damaged but possibly repairable
A couple have "broken up" = gone their different ways
To close shop v. to close up shop/the company = the latter indicates dissolution
Bring it right up to your nose = it can go no further, "up to" shows limit

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: Mr Red
Date: 22 Sep 08 - 01:00 PM

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

and sometimes through the night.

In Scotland and NZ, words like UPtake, and UPlift (but not UPpick) are used where Englanders would say pick-up as in "pick up a leaflet as you leave".

Riddle me that!

And why when my power fails does my PC need an UPS (or is it a UPS?).

Time for sUPper.

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: skipy
Date: 22 Sep 08 - 02:05 PM

Try "set"
Set has 464 separate definitions in the Oxford English Dictionary, the most of any English word; its full definition comprises 10,000 words making it the longest definition in the OED.

Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 22 Sep 08 - 11:41 PM

"UPS" = Interruptible Power Supply.

or U give your Package to us and we Stuff up the delivery....

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 23 Sep 08 - 07:06 AM

Note that you have to chop a tree DOWN before you can chop it UP.

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: Mr Red
Date: 23 Sep 08 - 08:06 AM

I fell for that one! (branching out somewhat)

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: Beer
Date: 23 Sep 08 - 08:35 AM

Of course if you use the word "Fuck" before "Up" the use becomes un-ending.
Beer (adrein)

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: topical tom
Date: 23 Sep 08 - 08:59 AM

There is a song by Pete Seeger that sums most of this up, "English is Crazy", but I can't find the words.Actually, it's more a dissertation than a song.

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 23 Sep 08 - 10:00 AM

Why is 'abbreviation' such a long word?
How come 'monosyllabic' has 5 syllables?
Why isn't 'phonetic' spelt as it sounds?
Why is there no other word for 'synonym'?

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: Mr Happy
Date: 24 Sep 08 - 09:58 AM

...........& then there was the teach yourself Irish book,

'Brush up your Erse' !!

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: GUEST,Neil D
Date: 24 Sep 08 - 10:56 AM

"UP" is the name of an excellent, early Great Big Sea album.
Never miss a chance to give GBS a plug when I can.

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: open mike
Date: 24 Sep 08 - 12:18 PM

i wonder--did my house burn down, or did it burn up?

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 24 Sep 08 - 10:21 PM

Did the fire start in the attic or the basement?

If it started on the inside, it would have burnt out eventually...

Keep smiling, OM!

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 02:49 AM

Why "Booze UP" when the booze goes down?

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 06:31 AM

... because it often comes BACK UP later...

Subject: RE: BS: Neat e-mail from a friend.
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 06:46 AM

No that's where the "Throw Up" comes!