Why English is Hard.

We have the best discussions in class...

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 th eofficers 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 real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP and appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is ordinary, 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 have UP to about thirty definitions. If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of th emany 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. But when the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it messes things UP. When it doesn't rain for a while, things dry UP.

Can you think of more?

The best movie is UP.
You break UP when things don't work out.
The top of your booty's jigglin out those jeans, baby pull your pants UP
Wrap it UP and shut UP
It's time to set UP shop and keep UP to speed.
Sit UP straight and stay UP late
I'll be UP UP and away UP UP and away
My time is UP.