About this 2-letter word : UP

This two-letter word  in English has more meanings than any other  two-letter word, and that word is 'UP.'  It is listed in  the dictionary as an [adv.], [prep.], [adj.], [n]  or [v].         
 
 
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 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 special meaning.   People stir UPtrouble, 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 UPat night.  We seem  to be pretty 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  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,  the earth soaks it UP.  When it  does not rain for awhile, things dry  UP.  One could go on  and on, but I'll wrap itUP, for now . . . my time  is 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         !         
 
 
Did that one crack  you UP?         
 
Don't screw  UP.  Send this on to  everyone you look UP in your address book .  . . or not . . . it's UP to you.        
 
Now I'll shut  UP!

Hi Guilaine,

Thank you very much for these words: I was very interested in them and read carefully till the end.

"Up" is a very common word indeed; "out" is not as much used but close.

> It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list
Among the various examples you wrote, there's another "family" which is the idea of completion.

Hi Gérard,

Yes you are right, I like your idea of "completion". It suits many examples very well indeed.
"DOWN" can also be used an an opposite to UP. But it is not as much used either.

Thanks a lot ! All the examples with these particules are welcome on that forum and i always read them carefully !

Thanks a lot ! All the examples with these particles are welcome on that forum and i always read them carefully !

Hi Guilaine, Muriel, everyone,

gerardM a écrit:...
> It's easy to  understand UP, meaning toward the sky  or at the top of the list
Among the various examples you wrote, there's another "family" which is the idea of completion.

I'm surprised I didn't give examples (probably shordt of time).
"Completion" means completely done, or a bit of exaggeration:
- I'm fed up
- time's up!
-will you finish up the cake?
-it's all up with this politician

In a similar idea (competion), more than "up" is "out" as in "worn out".

Hi Guilaine, Gerard, everyone !
As I wanted to know more about the idea of completion, I searched on the internet and saw that using the past perfect also gives the idea of completion 
He went out before he had finished his dinner