The English Language

Lovers of the English language might enjoy this. It is yet another example of why people learning English have trouble with the language.

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 adjective, preposition, adverb, noun, and verb.

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 offices 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 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 a while, things dry up. I'm trying to get it up.

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 and the last thing you do at night?

U P

Now I'll shut up

Up?





and so this isn't considered bullshit.

up
adverb, preposition, adjective, noun, verb, upped, up⋅ping.
–adverb
1. to, toward, or in a more elevated position: to climb up to the top of a ladder.
2. to or in an erect position: to stand up.
3. out of bed: to get up.
4. above the horizon: The moon came up.
5. to or at any point that is considered higher.
6. to or at a source, origin, center, or the like: to follow a stream up to its source.
7. to or at a higher point or degree, as of rank, size, value, pitch, loudness, brightness, maturity, or speed: to move up in a firm; to pump up a tire; to turn a lantern up; Prices are going up. Speak up! Hurry up!
8. ahead; in a leading position in a competition: He managed to get up on his opponent by three points.
9. in continuing contact, esp. as reflecting continuing awareness, knowledge, etc.: to keep up with the latest developments in mathematics.
10. into or in activity, operation, etc.: to set up vibrations.
11. into a state of emotional agitation or distress: His insults left her all roiled up.
12. into existence, visible form, etc.: His sample was worked up in the studio.
13. into view, prominence, or consideration: The lost papers have turned up.
14. into or in a place of safekeeping, storage, retirement, etc.: to lay up riches; to put up preserves.
15. into or in a state of union, contraction, etc.: to add up a column of figures; to fold up.
16. to the required or final point: to pay up one's debts; burned up.
17. to a state of completion; to an end: She finished it all up.
18. to a halt: The riders reined up and dismounted.
19. Baseball. being the player or team batting; at bat.
20. (used as a function word for additional emphasis, sometimes prec. by it): Go wake your father up. What plugged it up? We laughed it up.
21. ahead of an opponent or opponents in points, games, etc.: The golfer was two strokes up on his nearest competitor.
22. each; apiece: The score was seven up in the final quarter.
23. (of machines or equipment, as computers) working; in working order or in operation.
24. Informal. without the addition of ice; straight up: Bring me a martini, up.
25. Nautical. toward the wind: Put the helm up.
–preposition
26. to, toward, or at an elevated place on or in: They went up the stairs. The cat is up the tree.
27. to, toward, or at a high or higher station, condition, or rank on or in: He is well up the social ladder.
28. at or to a farther point or higher place on or in: She is up the street. I'm going up the street.
29. toward the source, origin, etc., of: up the stream.
30. toward a particular direction or in the interior of, as a region or territory: The explorers were up north.
31. in a course or direction that is contrary to that of: to row up the current.
–adjective
32. moving in or related to a direction that is up or is regarded as up: the up elevator; the up train traveling north; the up platform of a railroad station.
33. informed; familiar; aware (usually fol. by on or in): She is always up on current events.
34. concluded; ended; finished; terminated: The game is up. Your hour is up.
35. going on or happening; taking place; occurring: What's up over there?
36. having a high position or station: He is up in society.
37. in an erect, vertical, or raised position: The gate at the railroad crossing is up. The tent is up.
38. above the earth or ground: The corn is up and ready to be harvested.
39. in the air; aloft: The meteorological balloons are up. The airplanes are up for their reconnaissance flights.
40. (of heavenly bodies) risen above the horizon: The sun is up.
41. awake or out of bed: to be up with insomnia.
42. mounted on horseback: He knows which jockeys are up in every race.
43. (of water in natural bodies) high with relation to the banks or shore: The tide is up.
44. built; constructed: The new museum is up and open to the public.
45. facing upward: He is resting and his face is up.
46. sunnyside up.
47. (of roads, highways, etc.) having the surface broken or removed (usually used in combination): a torn-up road.
48. in revolt, mutiny, or rebellious agitation: Many territories were up and preparing to send troops against the government.
49. in a state of agitation: Beware of him when his temper is up.
50. Informal. cheerful or optimistic; high-spirited; happy; exuberant; upbeat.
51. Informal. productive, favorable, or profitable: a string of up months for the company.
52. afoot or amiss: Her nervous manner told me that something was up.
53. in a state of enthusiastic or confident readiness (usually fol. by for): The team was definitely up for the game.
54. bound; on the way: She was on a ship up for Australia.
55. resolved in an unfavorable or undesired way: They knew that their game was up.
56. higher than formerly in cost, amount, degree, etc.: The price of meat was up.
57. (of age) advanced (usually fol. by in): He is rather spry for a man so up in years.
58. active: The captain wished to set sail as soon as the wind was up.
59. in a legal proceeding as defendant: He is up for murder.
60. in operation or ready for use: The theater's lights are up.
61. (of points or other standards used to determine the winner in a competition) ahead; in advance: He won the game with two points up over his opponent.
62. considered or under consideration: a candidate up for reelection; a bill that is up before Congress.
63. wagered; bet: He won all the money up in the game.
64. living or located inland or on elevated ground: They live in a village two miles up from the coast.
65. (used with a preceding numeral to indicate that a score is tied in a competition): It was 10 up at the end of the first half.
66. ahead of an opponent or opponents: They scored three times in a row to go two up.
–noun
67. an upward movement; ascent.
68. a rise of fortune, mood, etc.
69. a time of good fortune, prosperity, or happiness: He has had more ups than downs in his career.
70. an upbound means of public transportation, as a train or bus.
71. Informal. a feeling or state of happiness, exuberance, or elation.
72. Slang. upper (def. 10).
73. a person or thing that is in a favorable position of wealth, fortune, etc.: People who were ups in the business world suffered losses in the economic depression.
74. an upward slope; elevation.
75. an upward course or rise, as in price or value: The landlord promised his tenants there would be no further ups in the rent this year.
76. Slang. upper 2 .
–verb (used with object)
77. to put or take up.
78. to make larger; step up: to up output.
79. to raise; go better than (a preceding wager): to up the ante.
–verb (used without object)
80. Informal. to start up; begin something abruptly (usually fol. by and and another verb): Then he upped and ran away from home.
81. (often used imperatively or hortatively) to rise up: Up, men, and fight until all the enemy are defeated!
—Idioms
82. all up with, at or approaching the end of; with defeat or ruin imminent for: He realized it was all up with him when the search party began to close in.
83. go up in one's lines. line 1 (def. 70).
84. on the up and up, Informal. frank; honest; sincere: He seems to be on the up and up. Also, on the up-and-up.
85. straight up. straight (def. 34).
86. up against, faced or confronted with: They were up against formidable obstacles.
87. up against it, in a difficult situation, esp. in financial straits: There was no one to help him when he was up against it.
88. up and around, recovered from an illness; able to leave one's bed. Also, up and about.
89. up and doing, Informal. actively engaged; alert; busy: During her convalescence she longed to be up and doing.
90. up and down, a. back and forth; backward and forward: He paced up and down.
b. from top to bottom or head to toe: She looked me up and down before replying.
91. up for, considered as eligible or as a possibility for (something): The child is up for adoption. Three actresses are up for the role.
92. up to, a. as far as or approaching (a certain part, degree, point, etc.): She went wading up to her knees. I am up to the eighth lesson.
b. in full realization or attainment of: He worked up to president of the company.
c. as many as; to the limit of: The car will seat up to five persons.
d. having adequate powers or ability for; capable of; equal to: He didn't think I was up to the job.
e. the duty or responsibility of; incumbent upon: It's up to you to break the news to him.
f. engaged in; contriving; doing: What have you been up to lately?
93. up your ass, Slang: Vulgar. shove (def. 6). Also, up yours.

Fuck is also a pretty universal word..

Don't make me list it...

Do it NOW!