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get up

ɡet ʌp

Even the wind gets up — one picture behind every use

The picture Something lying or sitting low pushes itself upright and rises. Sit down brings a standing body down; get up takes a low body up.

Everyday expressions

Where the picture shows up in get up

  1. the body rises from bed

    I get up at five for the early shift.

    aɪ ɡet ʌp ət faɪv fər ði ˈɜːrli ʃɪft

    I'm up at five for the early shift.

    The body under the covers sits up and swings its feet down out of bed.

  2. the body rises from a seat

    Could you get up? That's my seat.

    kʊd juː ɡet ʌp ðæts maɪ siːt

    Would you stand, please? That seat is mine.

    The seat lets go of you, your knees straighten, and you grow taller.

  3. rising and moving off

    He got up and walked to the door.

    hi ɡɑːt ʌp ənd wɔːkt tə ðə dɔːr

    He rose and walked over to the door.

    Once fully upright, the same body carries on toward the door.

  4. the wind rises

    The wind is getting up outside.

    ðə wɪnd ɪz ˈɡetɪŋ ʌp aʊtˈsaɪd

    The wind is picking up outside.

    Wind that lay flat along the ground stands up and starts shaking the branches.

    People aren't the only thing that rises; low, flat wind stands up too.

  5. urging someone upright

    Get up, the bus leaves in ten minutes.

    ɡet ʌp ðə bʌs liːvz ɪn ten ˈmɪnɪts

    Up you get — the bus goes in ten minutes.

    Someone stands over a sleeping body, pulling an arm to lift it upright.

All of it in one picture

Get up is one upward picture. A body standing up out of bed is waking; a body standing up out of a chair is giving the seat back; standing and then moving is leaving; and flat wind standing up is wind getting stronger. Even the shout at the end is just one more push to make something low go upright. So wherever get up appears, something low is lifting itself into a standing position.

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