When Up & Down Mean The Same Thing

[@pedromenchik1961]

It always confused me how “to dust” can mean either “to apply dust” or “to remove dust”. And “original” can either mean something very old or very new

[@_AstaLily]

Original confused me when I was younger and I’m a native speaker 😂

[@CYXXYC]

original doesnt mean new or old, its a different thing, original thing can be new (never done before), original thing can be old (since there are many copycats since its inception)

[@pedromenchik1961]

@@CYXXYC "the original idea was discarded in favor of the new ones" - here original means old or initial; "everybody proposed the same old things, but then he had an original idea" - here original means new, novel

[@bob1234881]

​@_AstaLily haha me too. I remember someone saying another had done something very original which then to me meant more traditional so didn't seem that impressive. 😂

[@jorgelotr3752]

@@pedromenchik1961 "original" comes from "origin", so it's technocally neither old nor new; you could argue that in both you examples you refer to the "one that has no precedent", "the one that's based on nothing that came before it".

[@lp-xl9ld]

I used this in a story I wrote. A group of friends are auditioning to be in an orchestra. Two of the musicians have learned they've been accepted and one turns to the third: "Okay, it's down to you." "Don't you mean 'it's UP to you'?" "Either way..."

[@mattisvov]

Ohh I didn't think about that, but it works the same there.

[@danielrhouck]

Not *quite* identical to each other, but for something large like a building, it can both burn up and burn down.

[@mattisvov]

Oh I thought about that too. Correct me if I am wrong here Anything can burn up. (Provided it can physically burn), but only buildings burn down, right? Like, a piece of paper could burn up, but we wouldn't say it burns down. Presumably, "burn up" refer to the upward motion of flames, smoke and so on. Wile "burn down" is because a burning building will generally collapse. i.e. fall down. Of course just guessing.

[@danielrhouck]

@@mattisvov That’s my understanding too. Or, not *just* buildings, but anything big that can collapse if part of it burns up.

[@tomkerruish2982]

Another contronym is the verb "trim." Usually, it means to remove something, but it can also mean to add something, as when one trims a Christmas tree.

[@Jay-wz4sb]

"The alarm went off", means the alarm started. "The alarm went off", means the alarm stopped.

[@mariodykstra6555]

Confused me as well.

[@Werevampiwolf]

Up and down can also be the same when talking about air conditioning. "Turn the AC down" could be to turn down the temperature and make it colder, or it could be to make it hotter.

[@kajones93]

This is what I was thinking.

[@billcox6791]

That’s my favorite because either one can mean either thing so they can be the same or opposite in the same context

[@bob1234881]

Yep. Do I turn the fridge up and down?

[@mattisvov]

Indeed, but interestingly here there is a clear logic to it, since an AC is a device that reduces heat, has a sort of negative effect. So the harder it goes, the more heat it removes.

[@jayfrank1913]

I'm old enough to remember, "down for it" entering American speech from the AAV term, "get down" (shout out to James Brown). It was definitely a phrase used by the younger, "hipper" crowd in the late 60's.

[@gollossalkitty]

That's what i was thinking :D

[@oniko.mp3]

Oh! I saw a guy talk about how AAVE often has opposite words to describe the same American-English phrase that white people use. Like “Good” (You look good) vs “Bad” (You’re bad) to mean attractive I also want to say “cool” (That’s cool) and “hot” (That’s hot) (to refer to something amazing or awesome) but cool was originally AAVE, just now more widely used to the point where it is used beyond African American communities and it now considered pretty colloquial. Anyways I wonder why AAVE does that, but it’s pretty neat!

[@jbrecken]

Also, "What's up?" means the same as "What's going down?"

[@alidaweber1023]

That's true. Very often though, something "going down" can also carry the connotation of conflict or violence.

[@j.p.giambalvo1123]

I thought you would talk about traveling north (up) to a lower elevation (down) or the reverse. Also, while "off" typically means "deactivated", "going off" can mean "activated", such as an alarm going off typically meaning that the alarm is making noise.

[@crystalwolcott4744]

My partner always says everything is "down," as in "headed down there," "going down there," and it drives me insane but she grew up on a mountain so shes just wired that way I guess. She described driving from GA to OH as "we'll be driving down tomorrow, right?"

[@frankhooper7871]

Up isn't necessarily northwards; an "up train" in England is normally travelling towards London, regardless of direction.

[@danielj.8876]

The alarm is deactivated after it's gone off, though.

[@He4dshotM4chine]

"Slow up" and "slow down" would be another example where they're meaning the same thing! Also, "Turn the A/C up/down" can be used to mean "make it colder in here," I know I've used both.

[@pelinalwhitestrake3367]

"Up and down are the opposite" People in space: Well yes, but actually no

[@gary.h.turner]

I'm down on my uppers, so I'm going up on the Downs to see if I can get down from a duck while I'm swan upping.

[@SillyDan1]

Downtown and uptown sometimes mean the same thing, depending on the town. In a place like Manhattan, uptown seems to mean further up the Hudson River, and downtown is the opposite. In most places I’ve lived, downtown means the central business district - and if you say you’re going uptown, people will assume you mean the same thing.

[@chitlitlah]

They're different parts of town in Dallas and a lot of other cities to which I've been. I think of Downtown as the area with the tallest skyscrapers and with a bunch of business people going to/from their offices, while I think of Uptown as an area with a lot of shopping, bars, restaurants, and places to go when not at work.

[@mr.turdlybird4387]

Get up come on get down with the sickness

[@erikbakker6974]

4:19 ‘Write down’ is “opschrijven’ (write up) in Dutch. We also have ‘onderschrijven’ (write down), but that means: write your signature under a text. I believe it’s the same in German.

[@m0llux]

German here: "aufschreiben": to write down "abschreiben": to copy (like in school or something) "umschreiben": to use different words to explain another word "beschreiben": to describe "unterschreiben": to sign (with a signature) "anschreiben": to have a tab in a bar or store (with the intent and permission to pay at a later time) OR to message someone (on a social media app, for example) German is fun!

[@mabus4910]

Unsurprisingly I can confirm that it is also the same in Luxemburgish. "opschreiwen" and "ënnerschreiwen". I belive the pronounciation in luxembourgish and dutch is very similar as well. The dutch "ij" is similar to the luxembourgish "ei".

[@NoviTall]

​@@m0llux don't forget that on the road you should never run over kids (niemals Kinder umfahren) and always drive around kids ( kinder umfahren)

[@Reddles37]

You can also "write up" something in English too. I think the difference is that "write up" is used formal documents, where you're expected to put a lot of extra work into editing and stuff.

[@ShawnRavenfire]

Another example is "slow up" and "slow down," both of which mean to go slower. (Strange that "speed up" and "speed down" mean the opposite of each other.)

[@emmag9890]

There is another way up and down can mean the same thing. You can say "theres a tree up by the corner store," and "theres a tree down by the corner store" and it would both mean pretty much the same thing.

[@CharlesStearman]

To my mind (I'm a UK baby boomer) you are "up for" something that is being planned but is not yet definite, while you are "down for" something definite that you are already committed to.

[@mackertheman]

I always associated the phrase “down for it” originating from getting on the dancefloor. Such as doing the twist where you’re wiggling in a downwards direction. Likewise, with the phrase “up for it” I always assumed had a slightly sexual connotation regarding a gentleman’s “agreement” Although now I’m writing it, I’m think I’m probably way off. But still, that’s always what sprung to mind with me.

[@ZincAddict]

As a non-native english speaker, the typos can be very confusing. Like I thought british spelled it "ovrelook"

[@damianoandreaarrigoni4401]

As a American, i google search “ovrelook” being shocked that it was spelt like that in Britain, then got no results from google, and then continued to watch the video realizing it was a joke… damn

[@greyhound1758]

This is how Shrek spells it 😂

[@michaelhaywood8262]

I aways thought it was ''overlook''

[@mr.crazyshadow]

"I'm up for it" i want to do it "I'm down for it" i want to do it Plz explain

[@Reichieru1]

Yes, we do still play with the parachute at school.

[@jamesisabeastieboysfan]

What about Hot & Cool? i.e. “She’s hot, He’s cool. He’s hot, She’s cool.” Both are positives.

[@cottrelr]

Yep. The hot new trends and the cool new trends are the same thing.

[@oniko.mp3]

Hey! I just commented something about this lol imma just copy and paste it here Oh! I saw a guy talk about how AAVE often has opposite words to describe the same American-English phrase that white people use. Like “Good” (You look good) vs “Bad” (You’re bad) to mean attractive I also want to say “cool” (That’s cool) and “hot” (That’s hot) (to refer to something amazing or awesome) but cool was originally AAVE, just now more widely used to the point where it is used beyond African American communities and it now considered pretty colloquial. Anyways I wonder why AAVE does that, but it’s pretty neat!

[@kandipiatkowski8589]

I remember playing with a large parachute with my class in PE....a full decade before you.

[@Karvelas_]

Also when giving directions, you can say that something is "down/up" the road. Both mean the same.

[@jorgelotr3752]

I'm not a native speaker and I've come across both sentences. I've never found anything wrong with them, but that may be just me and my approach to the language, as I believe that native English speakers have a relatively thin grasp on it, making it so that it's easier than in other languages for words to change meaning or mutate in form, not to mention that slang itself is a world on its own, so just by having slang born in places far apart some day coming into contact, it's not weird for things like that to happen.

[@ChristoAbrie]

In Afrikaans we have ja/nee. Literally translated it means yes/no, and used separately it's got the same uses as the English counterparts. But as a combo, it's an oxymoron. It can mean both "to agree" as well as "to disagree". Or more appropriately "agree to disagree".

[@ShawnRavenfire]

I notice a lot of times (in English), someone might say "yeah, no," or "no, yeah," in response to something. It seems that "yeah, no" means "yeah, I acknowledge what you said, but no, I don't agree with it," and that "no, yeah," means "no need to explain further, because yeah, I already agree." Some nervous speakers might even spit out a barrage of alternating yeah's and no's.

[@kenaikuskokwim9694]

There is an English surname, Noyes, which doesn't mean what it looks like. It's of Norman Conquest origin, and pronounced like "noise".

[@I_Love_Learning]

My favorite example is the difference between the phrase "The future is before us" and "The future is ahead of us", especially because before usually means the exact opposite.

[@nickvinsable3798]

Much like your earlier example(s), being “up” for something pertains to, well, getting up & even moving around. While being “down” would imply that you’re going to stay where you generally are currently &, eventually, sitting/laying down for whatever you’re down for…

[@RexxDraconem]

Similar idea to the up and down reference you made. Most places I have been when giving directions it's up for North and down for South. I'm from West Virginia which is known for it's mountains. Here we use up and down in terms of elevation. So you would go down to Huntington (to the west side of the state) and up to Princeton which is to the south east of the state. Huntington is in the valley, Princeton is in the mountains. Something I thought you'd find interesting.

[@Jay-wz4sb]

"Consulted" is its own opposite. "I consulted a lawyer." "I consulted a client."

[@TruHeart0306]

I have always heard and used “up for it” to mean can you handle it? Like if someone had been sick for awhile and you were planning to go do something together you might ask “are you sure your up for it?” Or they might say “I don’t think I’m feeling up to it today.”

[@laser8389]

I'm with you on the minor difference. I'd say it's kind of like the difference between being willing to do a thing and wanting to do a thing. Right now, I'd be up for pizza (my wife's choice) but I'd be down for whipping up some stir fry (my choice, but we don't have the ingredients and I don't feel like going shopping and it's her turn to pick so we're going with pizza).

[@pedromenchik1961]

I think “nonplussed” is also a contronym

[@mollydugan6144]

My dad did a Toastmasters speech years ago about nonplussed. It's not a word he uses anymore

[@Blankult]

This is one of the things that made learning english incredibly confusing

[@gubjorggisladottir3525]

In Icelandic we speak of going "uppeftir" or going "niðreftir" but that is more about where we are going to travel... downtown (where the harbour is) or up the hill... we also speak of going "úteftir" where there is no hill to travel... (upp is up, niður is down, út is out) eftir is "after"

[@majman446]

I'm surprised you didn't talk about the contronym "off" in this video. If an alarm goes off (activates), someone has to turn it off (deactivate it). Yes, I got that one from Vsauce but it's still a pretty cool example that you overlooked in this video. I'm down for watching another video of yours!

[@gamezytoo1433]

sleepy and sleepless basically means the same thing.

[@EmpressMermaid]

If you get called to your child's school, you could say "I'm coming up to the school" or "I'm heading down to the school". Both of which mean they'll expect you soon.

[@kvkatz8302]

The contronym I thought of immediately is "off". Like "the alarm went off" and "I turned the light off".

[@sapphirerose4494]

Up for something, to me, implies that you want to do it but also are physically “up” to it. More like you are able to and kind of want to. Whereas down for something is something you really want to do

[@MadSlantedPowers]

You can suck something through a straw, or blow something through it. These are opposites. However, if you think something is lame, you can say "This sucks" or "This blows" and mean the same thing.

[@NameExplain]

Do you prefer up for it or down for it?

[@raylectro]

Up lol

[@markadams7046]

Depends on which preposition that I prefer to use "for" or "with." I'm "up for that," but then "down with that."

[@cyberpotato63]

"up for that" is a general use phrase that has been around for at least the last seven decades, if not more. "put me down for that" is also an old phrase but is more specific to an activity. The phrase "down with that", I would more associate with black American pop culture. The phrase became pretty common in the early 70s, long before it came into general use in the late 80s. Earlier than that, I think it was more of a scene phrase associated with funk and R&B, maybe going back to swing jazz. Cab Calloway and Sammy Davis Jr. were big popularizers of black scene lingo in the 1950s. The Rat Pack made the use of black lingo more common among white musicians.

[@w1nterdays]

Yes those parashoots are amazing

[@_AstaLily]

Man, the parachute was where it was at

[@justdoit2521]

Oversight is one funny word...

[@cottrelr]

When an athlete’s contract is ending, they can either “resign” (sign a new contract) or “resign” (retire from the game).

[@marklamourine3130]

Re Ovrelook yeah. I was watching thinking "I don't need to comment. Someone won't be able to resist. Now I can't resist commenting on your sly side reference. Thanks for making me smile

[@thatoddshade]

“famous” and “infamous” still bother me to this day since I learnt about their coexistence.

[@adityamohan1773]

Infamous has a little bit of negative connotation tho.

[@elderscrollsswimmer4833]

I suggest playing Elder scrolls Oblivion. It has a statistic for both.

[@mahou-blaer]

I always thought of those as "famous" means positively well-known; reputable, & "infamous" means negatively well-known; disreputable.

[@blauesserpiroyal2887]

In German we have "umfahren", which depending if you place emphasis on the u or the a can mesn "to drive around something/to bypass" or "to run over (with a vehicle)"

[@brianedwards7142]

The music that defined my childhood was Popcorn by Gershon Kingsley. 😵‍💫

[@poatocat9534]

I once had a teacher say “put your phones up” to mean “put your phones away”. Does anyone know where this use of up comes from?

[@indigobunting5041]

Perhaps it's from when people say "hang your coat up". A coat on a hanger is up off the floor but also it is put away. So now people say "put your item up" to mean "put it away", which could be up on a shelf though not always.

[@mariawesley7583]

If i inform my work that i won't be in that day i call in sick or just called in. I've also heard people say called out.

[@ilakya]

Non native here. I think "up for it" feels like volunteering to do so while "down for it" is like guaranteed, eagerly to do so.

[@ixiolirion8781]

Getting up from the table is the same as getting down from the table as well

[@christiandevey3898]

The phrase "God knows" seems to be a contronym. It could mean that only God knows the answer (eg "God knows what's going on over there" means it's a mystery). The other meaning (which I think makes less sense) is everyone, including God knows (eg "God knows I've tried" means that it is clear to be seen).

[@NBK1122]

The word "cleave" is its own antonym. In the Bible, man is to cleave to his wife, as in join. The dictionary defines "cleave" as to split, using firewood as an example.

[@childishbeat]

Something can be "based on" or "based off" something, though the latter is often extended to "based off of" and seen as more informal.

[@Coccinelf]

I didn't even know that "could care less" was not wrong to say!

[@lillianlindsay-lawless8868]

They also mean the same thing when referring to travelling somewhere, like “I’m going up to the shops” or “I’m going down to the shops”

[@algotkristoffersson15]

Honestly, using up and down to describe traveling when not actually going in those specific directions is just confusing.

[@SheepStar8]

A teacher catches you doing something wrong in the hallway. You tell her "Do not write the incident down for me please." So she writes you up for the incident.

[@guillemtb1671]

Catalan has a pretty curious contronym in "hoste", which means both host and guest. It also means flight assistant, but that one is probably derived from the "host" meaning.

[@SuryaBudimansyah]

9:12 "Seriously, don't get too upset about typos. It's not worth it" I'm up/down for that, also I'm stealing that sentence and will say it to those internet grammar police officers

[@flamencoprof]

One I am familiar with is the Spanish Flamenco culture where they tend to hold the acoustic guitar more vertically than other players. In that position, to get a shorter string for a "higher" note the player moves the fretting hand "lower". Thus if a cantaor/a (vocalist) wants the guitarist to go *down* to a lower key, they will tell him to go *up* .

[@Kualinar]

When I see «priceless», I understand it as being so pricey that attributing a price for it becomes meaningless. So, priceless >> pricey.

[@brianedwards7142]

Allegedly Aloha means both hello and goodbye.

[@SuprousOxide]

One funny thing I noticed studying German lately was that the translation of "sleep in " is "ausschlafen". Schlafen is sleep, but aus translates as out, or out of. So in German, you don't sleep in, you sleep out.

[@adityamohan1773]

Me too. German prepositions are completely out of this world.

[@SuprousOxide]

@@adityamohan1773 Makes me appreciate how versatile the English preposition "to" is, when in German it can be the obvious zu, but also nach, bei, an, in... it depends much more on context.

[@williamgifford83]

FAST. The horse is fast because he can run. The dye is fast because it doesn’t run. Or perhaps because it’s been tied fast. 😂

[@cillianennis9921]

I live in a bungalow & when you say up the house or down the house they kinda change around. Down the house can mean the area with the kitchen, Living rooms & the back door & garage. But it can also refer to the bedrooms & toilet. The Middle room is kinda the cutting point. But Up the house or down the house just means the other region of the house like if its kinda split by the middle room. I feel like this doesn't happen as much in houses with 2 floors but you're more likely to say upstairs so up the house or down the house can be used. Odd phrases no Idea how common it is but you hear it a good amount in the area of Northern Ireland I live which is the regions around Belfast to the Aquarium. & then down Patrick & the rest of down. Edit: on the up for it down for it thing I feel like they have different contexts. Like are you up for it is more likely used after you are feeling bad or something as its more like asking are you okay to continue. Whilst are you down for it means basically do you want to come. I think the down one is used less from where I live as writing it feels odd. Its like it means nothing substantial to me. Language is odd in that way.

[@nvdawahyaify]

Up and down can also be the same in "to put down something" or "to put up something".

[@mahou-blaer]

"Putting up something" often means to put out of reach, so it's not qute the same. There's nuance. A example may be "I'll put up the [console device] if you don't stop nearly breaking it", & a follow-up phrase may be "put it down or I'll put it up".

[@adityamohan1773]

I want to vote "shit" as a contranym. It can mean that things is " the shit. " Or it's simply shit. It's shitty. But it can also be "no shit". Shit's everywhere.

[@billcox6791]

you’re s: bad you’re the s: good you ain’t s: bad you’re not s: good

[@Pining_for_the_fjords]

You can also fill _out_ a form or fill _in_ a form.

[@vincent412l7]

Kind of like how you could travel north or south on the up (train) line (the line to London)

[@Sienrel]

my bio teacher said that only in science you will hear "multiply" and "divide" mean the same thing

[@w1nterdays]

Truuue

[@billcox6791]

Tangentially related: For my Midwestern self, “into” means division, but to my Indian colleagues it means multiplication

[@danadnauseam]

"Close up" and "close down."

[@kenaikuskokwim9694]

An unboned chicken can have its bones, or not. "Scan" means to read thoroughly, catching everything, but is often used oppositely, to skim. "Up" means north on most maps, but Uptown in Minneapolis is south of downtown.

[@georgebernard5783]

The word invaluable always confused be because to me it sounded like no value where it actually means it’s so valuable that the value can’t be measured.

[@UmutKursawe]

In Latin there is that word altus. It can either mean high or deep. It’s about the altitude difference.

[@gregorybrannan7202]

Word Crimes by Weird Al has a line about I could care less (that means you do care.)

[@fcsuper]

The king of contranyms is "sanction".

[@mitchelmodine9197]

Flammable and inflammable: I suggested to my Filipina wife that flammable comes from “flame” and inflammable comes “inflame.” Wouldn’t be surprised if I were wrong 😂

[@MuriKakari]

inflammable and inflame both come from inflammare, but I don't know where flammable comes from

[@erraticonteuse]

I think flammable just comes from the fact that "inflammable" sounds like it should mean "not able to catch fire", so people dropped the "in-" to make it sound "right"

[@MuriKakari]

@@erraticonteuse back formation, sounds right

[@mitgproductions5662]

Pretty sure James Brown has asked, well maybe told us to "Get on up!" and "Get on down!" for ages, lol.

[@JNCressey]

7:56 I think the version with "could" could be justified by saying that it's using meiosis: an understatement for emphasis. Another justification could be that it's letting a bit of honesty in by acknowledging that the version with "couldn't" would often be an exaggeration, since you mean you care very little rather than meaning literally that the care is literally 0 and couldn't be any less.

[@crystalwolcott4744]

Like I know i SHOULD not care but because I do, I COULD stand to care less. This is how I interpreted MCR's teenagers for years lol.

[@farmerjohn6192]

Well here are two sentences that mean the same. I’m going up to London tomorrow. I’m going down to London tomorrow.

[@PugganBacklund]

Expected "Burn up/down" to be in the video.

[@Lord_Skeptic]

Fat chance and thin chance mean the same thing

[@sdspivey]

"Within" is inside something, but "without" means you are lacking something.

[@algotkristoffersson15]

T that doesn’t count, they would need to be two word phrases to count, not portmanteaus

[@sdspivey]

@@algotkristoffersson15 They are compound words not portmanteaus. I have also seen them as "with in" and "with out", or hyphenated.

[@Andreas_42]

In Swiss German, if you get surprised by something, you may say "Jo nei!" which litterally translates to "Yes No!" 😄

[@Maxisaspoonie]

02:00 um...we have come a long way in neon sign technology.

[@crystalwolcott4744]

I genuinely believe that MCR's "Teenagers" really helped spread the incorrect "could care less." Gerard Way has since said they accidentally used the wrong one because he thought that was the phrase.

[@brianferreira7277]

I thought you were going to talk about up and down as in “up/down the road” which are used to mean the same thing. This is particularly strange because they are both specific directional words being used to refer to both being used interchangeably for a short distance away but with no indication of the actual direction, unless you are on a hill or something.

[@georgebernard5783]

7:08 I believe the word is auto-antonym

[@maskkojoey]

7:56 I think the correct phrase would be "I would care less" or "I will care less" or "I wouldn't care more" or "I will not care more" because "I could care less" means that you can care less but you don't specify if you will care less or you will not, and "I couldn't care less" means you can't care less, simplifying that will mean that your only option is to care more.

[@algotkristoffersson15]

In addition to caring more you also have the option to care exactly the amount you already are, which is the least amount that it is possible to care about something.

[@jamesslick4790]

Slang add to this in American English "bad" and "wicked" can also mean "good".

[@FoggyD]

I never thought about those words in this specific phrase before, but since you asked about 'up' and 'down' in other languages, the answer is no, because they lack a simple term for the concept (which must make elementary physics needlessly complex). For example, the French equivalent of 'up' translates to 'in high' whilst the direct meanings of words for 'down' include: 'in low', 'to floor', 'towards under' and even 'deeper'. German has borrowed the word down straight from English... but only in the sense of "depressed"!

[@Notanothertime]

Weird Al, shares your frustrian of could/couldn't careless in his song Word Crimes. I also side with both of you on that.

[@stijill]

Maybe started from the dance phrase “get on down” as something positive or fun to do. Hay do you have video for “sick” or “fire”…

[@esrohm6460]

well there could be an argument made that the "down" of "something moving down" and "i am down for that" are just homonyms and not actually the same word and through sheer coincidence did the oposite of one of the meanings also get a homonym that means the same as it's opposites homonym. after all in the up down case do they not have a spacial meaning when used to show willingness

[@flamencoprof]

I think "down for that" is from musical slang. Musicians would say let's get down" meaning "down to work at making music", then if someone was playing well they would say "he's gettin' down". Ref. Kool and the Gang - Get Down on It (1981). Ironically, it's quite up-beat :-)

[@fermintenava5911]

In terms of contronyms, German has the ultimate example in "umFAHREN" (driving around someone) and "UMfahren" (driving someone over) 😂 only distinct by emphasis.