No, "upkeep" is just a noun.
The verb equivalent would be something like "to keep up"... And in your example it would be "I keep my GPA above 3.0 every semester".
Help with English
- Thread starter Saint
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The verb equivalent would be something like "to keep up"... And in your example it would be "I keep my GPA above 3.0 every semester".
Fraggle Rocker
Staff member
To stay as close as possible to Saint's original text, perhaps the best way to construct the sentence would be, "I try to keep my GPA up above 3.0 during every semester."
Someone will give a better answer, but no.
Upkeep is the cost of taking care of something, in time, effort or money.
A lawn requires routine upkeep (mowing, fertilizer and water).
A car requires routine upkeep (tune ups, and other maintenance).
Edit to add, I don't see or hear that word used much. Google says it is defined as the process of keeping something in good condition.
Fraggle Rocker
Staff member
That is correct. To use it as a verb, you have to separate the two components "up" and "keep."
My sister has already finished her homework, but I cannot keep up with her and I'm already two days behind.
I'm going to have to get rid of my 1956 Cadillac. It's a beautiful, comfortable car, but I can't keep up with the repairs. It's already got two engine problems that I haven't had time to fix.
I thought I would be able to take a second job to earn more money, but I'm worn out. I just can't keep up the pace.
I'm going to have to get rid of my 1956 Cadillac. It's a beautiful, comfortable car, but I can't keep up with the repairs. It's already got two engine problems that I haven't had time to fix.
I thought I would be able to take a second job to earn more money, but I'm worn out. I just can't keep up the pace.
We use it in the UK for sure, often when enquiring about cars, boats or houses etc... always good to know what the yearly costs are likely to be of keeping it in good order.
We also use it in business when referring to the annual maintenance costs of similar things (buildings, cars etc). One of the P&L (income and expenditure to those in the US) categories where I work is "upkeep" where we post all the repairs, preventative maintenance etc.
Fraggle Rocker
Staff member
We older folks still use the term "profit and loss." Most younger people understand it, although they prefer the term "income statement."
Fraggle Rocker
Staff member
To let someone alone means, literally, to stay away and allow them to be alone.
But "let alone" is also an idiom, which means "not to mention," "don't forget," etc.
I haven't got enough money to pay this months bills, let alone the medical bills for my mother, since my father died and she is no longer collecting his pension.
There are several good reasons why you should not take your vacation in Iraq, let alone the fact that you don't even have a passport!
There are several good reasons why you should not take your vacation in Iraq, let alone the fact that you don't even have a passport!
It would be wrong to miss your mother's birthday party. But it would be even worse to not attend your best friend's criminal trial, when your testimony would probably be enough evidence to prevent him from going to jail. I'd say that letting your mother down is the lesser of the two evils.
I've never heard of that expression before, but "pie in the sky" usually refers to an unrealistic expectation or wish.
For example, "I'm going to marry into royalty and live in a palace with a dozen servants" can probably be referred to as a "pie in the sky", I think.
Fraggle Rocker
Staff member
I've never heard anyone say that, and I've never come across it in writing. The phrase "pie in the sky" means a goal, plan, desire, etc. that is completely unreasonable and unattainable. "The company president assures us that the firm's profits will be much higher than last year, so we'll all get nice raises in pay. But that is just pie in the sky because the products we manufacture are rapidly becoming obsolete."
You mean "why does it mean money?"
It does not refer to money exclusively. It can be used for any resource needed to perform a task. "Our company would love to build a factory in your town and provide jobs to your citizens, but the wherewithal for this project is not available. There are no forests nearby for wood, your electric company's output is too small to power a factory, and your roads are too narrow for the semi-trailers to carry the products to market."
I've never heard that, sorry. Perhaps it's a British or Australian expression. The only reference of which I'm aware that touches on this is in the ancient nursery rhyme, "Little Jack Horner." A little boy puts his thumb into a pie and pulls out a plum. This is very rude behavior. And of course, the pie had obviously already been baked!
"Dither" applies only to human conduct: inability to make a choice. "John wants to go to two concerts, but he only has enough money for one ticket. He's been dithering about which one to buy, but if he doesn't decide soon, the tickets will be sold out and he won't be able to go to either one."
"Waver" has a more general application. "The daily high temperature has been wavering between 65 and 75 degrees, this week." (Sorry, we Americans use the Fahrenheit scale, not Celsius.) "The frequency of the radio signal from the fort keeps wavering, so we can't hear everything they're trying to tell us."
And yes, "waver" can also apply to human decisions, but it does not usually mean that the person is quite as foolish as if he were truly dithering. "The coach had to decide whether to put John into the game or George. He wavered for half a minute and then chose George."
It's a reference to fighting. If your enemy keeps charging and you have to keep moving backwards to avoid losing the fight, you may eventually discover that your back has hit a wall, so you can't retreat any further. You have to fight harder or surrender.
Dogs are famous for not giving up a pursuit. If a dog discovers a lizard and the lizard runs away to safety, the dog will keep chasing the lizard until he catches it, or until he is out of breath.
This is not a totally accurate description of dogs' habits. Most dog breeds are not distance-runners, and can't follow prey for more than a few minutes. They're more likely to use their extremely good sense of smell to follow their prey. Only a few types of dogs can run for a long time, and most of them were bred to chase predators away, such as the various types of wolfhounds, and the Anatolian, a gigantic animal that protects livestock from lions.
However, whether he does it by running or by smelling, a dog will not give up a hunt. That's what to "dog someone" means.
That's a very formal word. It's used by funeral directors, since the family of a dead person doesn't want to think of him being "buried" in dirt. They'd rather hear the word "inter." No one uses it in ordinary speech or writing, unless they are specifically referring to a funeral. The word is from Latin in terra, meaning "in the earth."
When in doubt, bet on French.
It means "famous case." Remember that the French conquered England in 1066, and French was the country's official language in government, business and education for several centuries. And by the way: they never left. They just started speaking English. Nonetheless, French was the primary language used in diplomacy, the arts, science, government and education throughout most of Europe, up into the 1800's.