What's up with the word "up?"

Have you noticed the two-letter word with the seemingly unlimited number of meanings? It keeps coming up in our writing and speech.

At a meeting, why does a topic come up? Why is it always up to a committee to take up an issue? And why, after due consideration, do fair-minded people make up their minds? Why are a slate of officers up for election? Why does the secretary write up the minutes? And does going to a meeting leave you with an up feeling?

Why do we call up someone we know? Why does a fresh coat of paint brighten up the place, or freshen it up?

Why is it that when it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding up, and when the sun comes out we say it is clearing up. After the skies open up, why do we say the dry earth soaks up the rain? But when it stops raining, why do we say the earth dries up?

When we are ready for bed why do we say we are all washed up? And when someone is unsuccessful in business, why do we say he or she is all washed up?

When we cannot hear what others say, why do we ask them to speak up? Why do we warm up food and clean up afterwards? And why do we lock up when we’re ready to go home?

Why does one team manage to get up on its opposition? Why do we climb up the ladder of success? And why do we stand up for our rights? Why do we wake up just about the same time the sun comes up? And when we are angry with someone, why do we get up on our hind legs? In the fall, why do we put up preserves? And given these tough economic times we all face, why are we all up against terrible odds?

To be properly informed about the proper uses of up, look up the word in an unabridged dictionary. In mine, it takes up nearly a page and the number of definitions adds up to 69. If you just get up and going, if you are up to it, you can make up your own list. Doing so will take up a lot of your time but if you do not give up, you might wind up with a hundred or more uses for the little word.

Myself, I have had it up to here with this little word, so I am going to quit, but you can up the number of definitions as much as you like without me. You can even make up some of your own. Go ahead. There is no way you can show me up because I give up. Now do not get uppity about it! Down, Boy! Down!

See you next month.