In the English language, there is a two-letter word that has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is UP. It is listed in the dictionary as an adverb, preposition, adjective, noun, or verb!   There are over 30 definitions!

I cannot claim total originality for what follows (I think variations of this have circulated before), but it sure is fun to explore for us word lovers!

At first, it is easy to understand the word UP, meaning toward the sky or a higher position, but think about all the other ways we use this word:

You wake UP.

At a meeting, topics come UP.

Political candidates are UP for election.

Your smile can brighten UP a room.

A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.

You line UP for tickets.

People speak UP or take UP a cause.

And if a person is speaking too softly, we ask them to “speak UP!”

To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special.

With the right skill, you can fix UP the old car.

It is UP to someone at work to write UP a report.

You call UP your friends.

Please look UP your friends in your address book.

Unfortunately, you can take UP with the wrong crowd.

You work UP an appetite.

At dinner time, you warm UP leftovers and then clean UP the kitchen.

Don’t forget to lock UP the house.

A disaster strikes, and you must pick UP the pieces.

By clicking a thumbs-UP, you can say you “like” something online.

After the rain, we say the sky is clearing UP.

If it has not rained for a while, we say it is drying UP.

The bad kid in class always stirs UP trouble.

You think UP excuses.

Someone must open UP a store in the morning but remember to close it UP at night.

A Pixar movie is called “Up.”

Time to wrap this UP.

So, 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.

[This post ran over a decade ago, and I thought I’d bring it UP again. Pun intended.]

~~Steve Laube