Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Ah---The English Language


I've always been fascinated with words--especially words that have so many meanings. It always makes me wonder how anyone from another country can EVER learn our language...

This cute forward about 'words' is from friend Pat. I thought it was cute enough to share!!!! ENJOY!



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There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that 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 and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?


We call UP our friend, 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 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 ..


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 UP the earth. When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP .


One could go on & on, but I'll wrap it UP for now as 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



(Spell it---if you don't get it!!!!!!!!!!!!) Tee hee hee!!!!!

Don't screw 'up'. Share this with your friends and family!!


Have a great weekend.

Hugs,

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think I'm now UP-to-date with everything UP. ^^^ ^^^ ^^^

Sunny said...

Okay! I give UP! I'm UP to my ears in UP's.
Very funny post and not I will be thinking of all the other UP's. LOL
Hope you're UP to having a great day!
Sunny :)

SquirrelQueen said...

Oh my, I'm not sure I'm UP to absorbing all of this so early in the morning. I need another cup of coffee to wake UP!

Tabor said...

I remember watching TV in the Washington DC after a long day of trying to learn another language at USAID and when watching the news in English wondered how anyone could ever figure out what was being said with all our idiomatic expresions.

EG CameraGirl said...

Hahahaha! LOVE this!

diane b said...

I come across a lot of problems like this when working with ESL children (English as a Second Language). I have been UP too long so I'm off to bed, while you still have the day ahead of you. By the way it was a good day. You'll enjoy it.

T said...

You were "up" awful early to put this up!

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Betsy: So, what are you 'up' to today?

Dorothy said...

Betsy, I got this e-mail too and thought it was good. I thought about doing a post with it for the letter U. Like you, I wonder how people from other countries ever learn our crazy language!

Sally said...

Funny, Betsy.

Ruth's Photo Blog said...

That's a good one.I guess I will be thinking about the word 'UP',whenever I use it.I might add,I will also remember Betsy,who brought this to my attention.Thanks and have a wonderful day.
Blessings,Ruth

penny said...

A very up-lifting post, Betsy. I enjoyed the up-side theme of the day.

Beth said...

Hee, hee, Betsy...I love this! As you know, I really like to play with words, so this is right down my alley (or should I say right UP my alley?) I wish I could have somehow worked that last line into my shameless silly potty pun post.

Thanks for the laugh, Betsy! :-)

Vicki ~ FL said...

Betsy, that was a great post. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

I am a word-lover too and this was good fun. thanks for sharing!

Mary said...

I've always loved words, too and you woke me UP with this one :-) I should send you a copy of my Great-uncle Bill's poem about homonyms. It boggles my mind that someone could write all the verses he wrote about them! I'm not sure I could stand to type it up, though!

Busy Bee Suz said...

This cracked me UP Betsy!!!!
Have you seen the movie UP? you and George should rent it..very cute.

Snap said...

Too funny!

Cheryl said...

Betsy, you're a hoot! You come up with the cheerfulest, brightest, sunshiney posts and I thank you!
Have a nice weekend.

Loran said...

Your blog always cheers me UP!

Karin said...

This was delightful! I'd read it before - but now I'll now where to look it up should I need it again! Read it to the seniors at the nursing home and they loved it! The way I learned the English language? Sheer memorization! At least English doesn't always sound 'angry' like some folks say our German language does, with all its guttural sounds!

Have a lovely week-end! Got to get the house cleaned today! Hubby was with the kids in PA for a month and I've been sick at home! Time to get everything clean and sanitized for his return!

Janie said...

Those are a lot of funny, and sometimes strange, uses. Words and useage are fascinating subjects.

Diane said...

Up is a very good one - so many meanings. Our language is amazing, isn't it.

imac said...

U-p I-p Ev1-ps.

Joy said...

Who knew that little word packed such a punch. I haven't thought of it before. Cute post.

Reminds me to make an appt. for my check-up.


Joy

Anonymous said...

I like your sidebar Days of Thankfulness, Betsy.

Unknown said...

You're right Betsy -- "up" is a great word. I've always overlooked it, aka looking to high "up."

Anonymous said...

and I just got UP and read this lovely post...nice way to start the day with...lovely!

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

Very good...I never realized how we used one simple word in so many ways!!!

Mary Isabella and Kiley too! said...

This is too cute!! LOL

Small City Scenes said...

Now when someone says to you "What's up?" you have a zillion answers. LOL Neat post. MB

MadSnapper said...

as I quickly looked UP the word UP on dictionary.com I was laughing out loud. these are so true. and the dictioanry had 93 meanings for the word up. to funny

MadSnapper said...

to let you know how observant I am, somehow, even though I come here every day, I totally missed your I am thankful sidebar. almost everyone of your thankfuls I can say amen to. but i don't own a leaf blower. I am thankful today for the gift God gave me, my parents, good Christian people who raised me to be what I am today.

Rose said...

hehehehee....this is funny. If you think about how 'up' is pronounced, even that is funny....

Cookie said...

ROFL! I did have to spell it at the end :)

storyteller at Small Reflections said...

LOL ... this post and the previous one remind me of my TEACHING days! Thanks for sharing the chuckles.
Hugs and blessings,