H.Kishie Singh is based in Chandigarh and has been a motoring correspondent for newspapers like The Statesman, New Delhi and The Tribune.His column ‘Good Motoring’, for The Tribune ran for over 27 years. He has been also been the contributing editor for magazines like Car & Bike, Auto Motor & Sport and Auto India. His latest book Good Motoring was published recently and has co-authored a book with The Dalai Lama, Ruskin Bond, Khuswant Singh and others, called The Whispering Deodars.


Sunday, 18 October 2020

IT’S *UP* TO YOU

 

HHere is an another example of English and its new nuances, oddities and usage.

 

     One word in the English language that could be a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition is "UP".

     

     This two-letter word in the English language has more meaning than any other two-letter word. The word 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 the officers *UP* for election, if there is a tie, it is a toss *UP*, 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 *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* can be 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*!!!

 

     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 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, it soaks *UP* the earth. When it does not rain for awhile, things dry *UP*.

 

       In school we would taught public speaking. The formula was brief and to the point, stand *UP*, speak *UP*, shut *UP*!

 

     One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it *UP*, for now...... my time is *UP*!

 

     So, did this whole thing, crack you *UP*?