Friday Fun with The Word UP

Jennifer Rova

I received this in an email today and smiled. The author is unknown but he seemed to be up for writing something funny. The word UP in English has more meanings than any other two-letter word.  It is listed in the dictionary as an [adv],  [prep], [adj], [n] or [v]. 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 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 UP to a hundred uses or more.

 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; if there is  a tie, it is a toss UP.  Why is it UP

to the secretary to write UP a  report?  We call UP our friends, brighten UP a 

room, 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 a 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  blocked  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!

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 soaks UP the  earth.  When it does not 

rain for awhile,  things dry UP. 

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

 My time is UP!