Look up the word “up” in the dictionary. 

It takes up almost 1/4 of the page and can add up to about thirty definitions.

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, 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.

People stir up trouble, line up for tickets, work up an appetite, and think up excuses. 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!

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.

It is clouding up when it threatens to rain. 

It is clearing up when the sun comes out. 

When it rains, it soaks up the earth. 

When it does not rain for awhile, things dry up. 

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

Why do we wake up?

What is the first thing you do in the morning?  up! 

Did that one crack you up? 

Don't screw up. 

Send this on to everyone you look up in your address book . . . or not . . . it's up to you. 

Now I'll shut up!