roddy Posted May 24, 2018 at 09:05 AM Report Share Posted May 24, 2018 at 09:05 AM To up and do something - to do something unexpectedly or abruptly. "Where's John?" - "No idea, he upped and left half an hour ago. Didn't say a word." "Have you heard? Mum's upped and sold the house!" "You can't just up and cancel the meeting like that..." Is this only British English? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lu Posted May 24, 2018 at 09:15 AM Report Share Posted May 24, 2018 at 09:15 AM I know this construction (don't know what flavour English it is though, my English is even messier in that respect than my Chinese) but I never knew the 'up' is also declined. I would have said 'He up and left half an hour ago.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungouk Posted May 24, 2018 at 09:26 AM Report Share Posted May 24, 2018 at 09:26 AM I always thought that was US English... I don't think I heard anyone in the UK say it before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted May 24, 2018 at 09:26 AM Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2018 at 09:26 AM Actually I'm wondering about that now. I've now wondered so much I'm not sure what I'd even actually say. I'm going to have to try and sneak up on myself when I'm saying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungouk Posted May 24, 2018 at 09:28 AM Report Share Posted May 24, 2018 at 09:28 AM It definitely would be "upped and left" though, not "up and left", unless maybe spoken by those with English as a second language or whatever (here in Singapore everyone leaves "-ed" off the end of words all the time. "Sorry, we're close" etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beelzebro Posted May 24, 2018 at 09:34 AM Report Share Posted May 24, 2018 at 09:34 AM Definitely heard it here in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lu Posted May 24, 2018 at 09:55 AM Report Share Posted May 24, 2018 at 09:55 AM Counting google results, it's overwhelmingly 'up and left' and 'up and died' over 'upped and left/died'. But it is of course possible that most people are doing it wrong, or that there is a regional difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungouk Posted May 24, 2018 at 01:31 PM Report Share Posted May 24, 2018 at 01:31 PM 3 hours ago, Beelzebro said: Definitely heard it here in the UK. OK, there's a lot of "leakage" from US English into British English. (When did Brits start saying "any time soon" and "one of the only"?) Also, despite being English I lived in Scotland for the 10 years before leaving the UK in 2010 (lots of different usage), and haven't been back since. What am I trying to say? Probably: I may be out of touch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
陳德聰 Posted May 24, 2018 at 04:10 PM Report Share Posted May 24, 2018 at 04:10 PM Interesting... My first instinct was to say that “upped and left” was categorically wrong, in favour of “up and left.” But then I started imagining a situation where I’m telling a story: ”So he’s sitting in the restaurant by himself, right? And then you wouldn’t believe it, the guy just ups and leaves without paying!” I prefer “up and leaves” and “up and left,” but both “upped” and “ups” do not really offend my sensibilities. Cambridge says it’s “American” and gives an example using “up and left,” which I would casually infer means it started in American English and made it’s way to British English, before later losing the inflection on the word up where Brits preserved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley Posted May 24, 2018 at 05:01 PM Report Share Posted May 24, 2018 at 05:01 PM Its up and leave and past tense is upped and left. I have heard it on both sides of the Atlantic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abcdefg Posted May 25, 2018 at 12:53 PM Report Share Posted May 25, 2018 at 12:53 PM On 5/24/2018 at 5:05 PM, roddy said: Is this only British English? It's used in the US too, during casual speech. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungouk Posted May 25, 2018 at 01:09 PM Report Share Posted May 25, 2018 at 01:09 PM 20 hours ago, 陳德聰 said: made it’s way to British English, before later losing the inflection on the word up where Brits preserved it. Sounds very plausible. Brits may do all kinds of careless and reckless things (*ahem* not using the B-word) but most would fight to the death to preserve inflection of the Queen's English. And pick you up on "it's". ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NinjaTurtle Posted June 7, 2018 at 06:56 PM Report Share Posted June 7, 2018 at 06:56 PM I would prefer to say "He up and left" rather than "He upped and left." But I would say both examples are correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amytheorangutan Posted August 19, 2018 at 07:05 AM Report Share Posted August 19, 2018 at 07:05 AM I heard it first in Australia but I think I have heard it in the UK as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
li3wei1 Posted August 20, 2018 at 05:58 AM Report Share Posted August 20, 2018 at 05:58 AM I would say more common in the US than in the UK, based on my limited experience. I'd also vote for upped over up for the past tense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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