Thistwo-letter word in English has more meanings than any other two-letter word, andthat word is ‘UP.'It is listed in the dictionary as and [adv.], prep], and [ad], [n] or [v].
It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, butwhen 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 (if there is a tie, it is a toss UP) and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? We call UP our friends, brightenUP aroom, polish UP the silver, warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and fix UP the old car.
At other times, this little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UPexcuses.
To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.
And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UPbecause it is blocked UP.
We open UPa store in the morning but we close it UPat night. We seem to bepretty mixed UP about UP!
To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look UP the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost ¼ of the pageand can add UP to about thirty definitions.
If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the manyways UP isused. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with UP to a hundred or more.
When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. When the sun comesout, we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it soaks UP the earth. When it doesn’t rainfora while, things dry UP. One could go on and on,but I'll wrap it UP, for now . . . My time is UP!
Oh. . . One more thing: What are the first thing you do in the morning and the lastthing you do at night?
U
P!
Did that one crack you UP?
Don'tscrew UP... Send this on to everyone youlook UP in your address book. . . Or not .. . it's UPtoyou.
‘NowI'll shut UP!
