A two-letter word that apparently has more meanings than any other two-letter word in English: This two-letter word of up is listed in many dictionaries as an (adverb), an (adjective), a (verb), or a (preposition).

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 politicianss up for election and why is it up to the secretary to write up a report?

We call up our friends.

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 other special meanings.

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.

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 a dictionary.

In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes up almost 1/4th 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, it wets the earth and often messes things up.

When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry up.

One could go on and on, but this will wrap it up; for now, the time is up . . . so, it is time to shut up!

Reverse the numbers that you chose and subtract the smaller number from the larger number.

The result will always be 198. For example, 123 would become 321; subtract 123 from 321, and the answer is 198.

Try it and see for yourself.

1. A reference to emotions or forces which are held or kept inside and not released: Tom's family was full of pent-up energy after the long trip to visit his mother and father.

Tim's supervisor was in pent-up anger and frustration when he saw the loss of profits for his company that happened during the past month.

2. Relating to feelings being confined or repressed: When Jill fell down and hurt her knee, she had pent-up emotions and did not cry at first.
3. Etymology: from Latin penna, "feather" and from Old French penne, "feather". © ALL rights are reserved.

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1. To construct; "A building will be put up on this site."
2. To disassemble; "Put up your toys and get ready for bed."

An important modification, change, or a series of changes in the way a company or other organization is run: There has been a major shake-up in Jim's company since profits have decreased so much.

To buy or to acquire something quickly or eagerly: Many shoppers went to the stores to snap up bargains after the holidays.

The ad on the internet suggested that web site owners, "Go snap up a new web address for your business."

Hundreds of Shakespeare fans were snapping up costumes and accessories worn by stars of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Crowds of fans snapped up 10,000 items; including uniforms, shirts, shoes and hats at the company’s rehearsal rooms in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Referring to getting very drunk: Joe got tanked at the party.

Andy was tanked up on strong cider and, as a result, he was looking for a fight in the London bar.

To create or to make up something false in order to cause problems for another person: The supervisor trumped up an unverifiable reason for firing Roxanne.

That which is deliberately done or created to make an innocent person appear to be guilty of a crime: Sam was arrested on trumped-up charges that included trumped-up evidence. © ALL rights are reserved.

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agency:
start-up fund:
inventors:

"The U.S. government agency that helped invent the Internet now wants to do the same for travel to the stars."

1. To bring to an ending; "Let's wind up this meeting now, please."
2. To start; "Wind up the clock now so it will start keeping time and start the alarm in the morning."