Grammar/Vocabulary ??? (1 Viewer)

since when did the word 'up/upped' replace the word increase/increased in the english language.

everytime i hear that word used instead of increase/increased it sounds really illiterate dare i say 'ghetto.'

can anyone educate me?

Since when did capital letters go out of style?

i knew i was going to get it for that. but i have been typing like this for years (code writing, etc...).

at least it is better than ALL CAPS....

Diallo, I've been typing for years as well, but have managed the difficult task of pressing down the shift key with one finger while typing with another. I promise you, it can be done with practice.

Okay, enough of the gratuitous insults. Please can you give an example or twain of this offensive use of 'up'? I can think of 'up the tension', 'up the stakes', 'up the ante', 'up the volume' and several more that are perfectly acceptable in spoken Brit english at least. They probably wouldn't be used in formal written english, but the same applies to many other colloquial expressions (e.g. 'ain't' which is used surprisingly often in spoken educated Brit english).

Hey, lets kick it up a notch!
How about we up the ante?

Or as Red Buttons once said, "Dean Martin should be an example to us all. He wasn't content with just being a singer. He constantly pushed his career up, up, up. Dean upped his career. Up yours!"

Regards,

Joe

there is/was actually a good example on the htf frontpage:

i don't see it anymore. i'll try and find it.

Examples:

PS3 firmware upped to 2.0
PS3 firmware upped to 2.0 - News at GameSpot

Flowers Foods' stock repurchase plan upped
Flowers Foods' stock repurchase plan upped - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

U.S. ups tsunami aid from $35 million to $350 million
CNN.com - U.S.*ups tsunami aid*from $35 million to $350 million - Dec 31, 2004

How SEO Upped the Revenues
How SEO Upped the Revenues

Upping one's language skills? I'm down with that. And that's on the level.

I've also been coding for years (over 20) and I find if I follow certain rules and conventions, my code is easier to read and share with others. Imagine if they had the same types of rules and conventions for writing English? Hmmmm, I may be on to something . . .

Actually, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, "up" is a perfectly valid synonym for "increase" when used as a verb.

Edna: "Embiggens? I never heard that word before I moved to Springfield."
Ms. Hoover: "I don't know why. It's a perfectly cromulent word."
---
Wiggum: " Good God he is fabulous."
Skinner: "Yes he's embiggened that role with his cromulent performance."

So the next obvious evolution of language should be the replacement of "up/upped" with "embiggen/embiggened". It's the cromulent thing to do.

Brad

That just makes my Patula Obendala hurt.

'Transformers,' 'Shrek 3' DVD Sales Up Viacom Profit

how about "'Transformers,' 'Shrek 3' DVD Sales INCREASE/S Viacom Profit/s"

Home Media Magazine - Bringing Digital Entertainment To You

All the examples you're giving are headlines of news articles. Headlines traditionally use abbreviations/slang in order to save space. You shouldn't expect to see proper grammar in headlines.

Find articles that use the term "upped" in the actual body, not the headline, and your point will be more valid.

Says the guy whose name is lowercase...

It is my impression that people like to appear uneducated, that can be the only explanation for it, especially when they are criticizing someone else's writing while brutalizing the language in their response.

But it is a legitimate use of the word as recognized in most (if not all) major dictionaries.

Scott is correct about the headlines, though. The idea is to keep 'em short. Headline-writing is a true talent. Remember Variety's "Stix Nix Hix Pix?" One can use improper spelling in tabloid headlines in order to creatively get the point across in shortened fashion. But rather than a mis-use, I would characterize the use of "up" in a headline as simply a short word that means increase.

After all, the headline from homemediaretailing.com wasn't going to read:

"The Viacom company greatly increased its profits through the sales of DVDs of the films Transformers and Shrek 3."

Put me down as one of those who are amazed that anyone who ignores capitalization conventions (which are in place to make writing easier to read) comes down on the language/grammar cops side.

I was an IT professional for many years and fired more than one technician who had poor written communication skills. Not to demean your technical skills, but there are many people who can code (and a significant number of those do not have English as their native language), but not so many who can convey to customers or users what they are doing and why.

i am not getting defensive or insulted by the comments about my lack of capitalization. but i do want to make a statement.

no to toot my own horn i have some of the best writing/oratory/vocabulary skills among my peers and co-workers. as a matter of fact i have received 'feedback' that i need to 'tone down' my vocabulary while speaking and that my professional writing is some of the best that my management chain has ever seen.

so to make a long story short my shorthand on an internet forum is not representative of how i communicate in a professional setting. its just the internet folks.

additionally, i would hate to see how some of you would react to the shorthand that is commonly used in IM and text messaging.

back to the original topic.....

i don't know why it irks me so bad either. as soon as i read it or hear someone use the term it annoys the hell out of me. it especially grates my ears when i hear news announcers or people in professional settings use the term.