Posted by Jack Lee
Lovers of the English language might enjoy this. It is yet another example of why people learning English have trouble with the language. Learning the nuances of English makes it a difficult language. (But then, that's probably true of many languages.)
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 [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 and we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, we warm UP the leftovers, put on make UP 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 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 1/4 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. Elvis had contributed one, he was "All shook 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 wets UP the earth. When it does not rain for awhile, things dry UP.
One could go on & 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 & the last thing you do at night?
U
P
Don't screw up.
Now I'll shut up, besides I'm thirsty, I need a 7-UP!
Maybe your the person who can tell me how FAVRE works.... hmm? I mean come on! Please do not tell me " it's french" and leave it at that. You can clearly see the V before the R but you hear the R before the V, what gives?
What is UP with that? LOL
Toby you didn't ask me but I can give you an answer that at least explains the confusion. You're right it is French and the French do pronounce the V before the R. They pronounce their R's in their throats...a gutteral sound we do not use in English.
Fahv + stifled girgle + soft ruh
Instead of forming the R sound with your pallet at the front teeth it's formed in the throat.
Now aren't you glad you asked...and has anyone heard Mr. Favre say it? If he says Farve then it's been mercifully Americanized.
Maybe your the person who can tell me how FAVRE works.... hmm?
Ok, now you have really done it, you when and brought up the guy that the kid from PV Vikings has replaced and it seems the kid is up to the task because Favre's time was up in Green Bay. Now it seems his name is coming up in Minnesota, which really gets my dander up. I for one think that Favre's time is up in the NFL and I wish everyone one would give up on trying top extend his career any longer.
Oh I know the powers that be just want to see if he is up to the task of bringing the Vikings up to the level of competing for the championship, but I wish they would just give it up and get on with the future all ready. If I have to put up with watching Favre play for the Vikings, I think I will throw up, and then I might just give up watching the NFL all together. Besides, my NFL Network subscription is almost up and I have really gotten fed up with football anyway.