# So why do we hurry 'up'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 6, 2006, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554 "2006-04-06T10:41:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/1 "2006-04-06T10:41:14Z")
The five year old tossed that question at me last night and I was utterly non-plussed. I had to tell her I had no idea. But I also told her that I knew who to ask. So why do we hurry up instead of down or whatnot? ---
**Author:** ![Hombre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecb155/32.png) [@Hombre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hombre)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/2 "2006-04-06T11:34:57Z")
I’ve wondered this as well. [Dictionary.com](http://dictionary.reference.com/) has this partial entry: > [@](#): > > **"up** > > In addition to the idioms beginning with up, also see act up; add up; add up to; all shook up; all up; ante up; back up; ball up; bang up; bark up the wrong tree; bear up; beat up; beef up; bid up; blow up; bob up; bone up; boot up; bottle up; bound up in; brace up; break up; bring up; bring up the rear; bring up to date; brush up; buckle up; buck up; buddy up; build up; bump up; burn up; butter up; button up; buy up; call up; camp it up; card up one’s sleeve; catch up; chalk up; charge up; chat up; cheer up; choke up; choose up; clam up; clean up; clear up; clock up; close up; cloud over (up); come (up) from behind; come up; come up against; come up roses; come up with; cook up; cough up; cover up; cozy up; cracked up; crack up; crank up; crap up; creep up on; crop up; cross up; curl up; cut up; dead from the neck up; dig up; doll up; double up; do up; draw up; dream up; dress up; drum up; dry up; ease off (up); eat out (someone up); eat up; end up; face up to; fed to the gills (up); feel up; feel up to; figure up; fire up; fit out (up); fix up; fix up with; flare up; fold up; follow up; foul up; from the ground up; fuck up; game is up; gang up; gas up; get someone’s back up; get up; get up on the wrong side of bed; get up steam; give oneself up; give up; give up the ghost; go belly up; goof up; go up; go up in flames; grow up; gum up; ham up; hands up; hang up; hard up; haul up; have had it (up to here); heads up; head up; heat up; hit up; hold one’s end up; hold one’s head high (up); hold up; hole up; hook up; hopped up; hurry up and wait; hush up; jack up; jazz up; juice up; keep it up; keep one’s chin up; keep (someone) up; key up; kick up; kick up a fuss; kick up one’s heels; kiss and make up; knock up; laid up; land in (up); lap up; lark it up; laugh up one’s sleeve; lay in (up); lead down (up) the garden path; lead up to; leg up; let up; lighten up; light up; line up; live it up; live up to; lock up; look over (up and down); look up; louse up; make up; make up for lost time; make up one’s mind; make up to; mark up; measure up; meet up with; mess up; mix it up; mix up; mop up; mop up the floor with; move up; muck up; not all it’s cracked up to be; number’s up; one up; on the up-and-up; open up; own up; pair off (up); pass up; patch up; pay up; pep someone up; perk up; pick up; pick up on; pile up; pipe up; play up; play up to; pluck up; point up; pony up; pop up; prick up one’s ears; psych up; pull oneself up; pull up; pull up stakes; pump up; push up daisies; put one’s feet up; put someone up to; put up; put-up job; put up or shut up; put up with; rack up; rake up; read up; rev up; ride up; right-side up; right up one’s alley; ring up; roll up; roll up one’s sleeves; rough up; round up; rub up on; run (up) against; run up; rustle up; save up for; scare up; scrape up an acquaintance; screw up; scrounge around (up); scrub up; seal off (up); seize up; send up; serve up; settle up; set up; set up housekeeping; sew up; shack up; shake up; shape up; shine up to; shoot up; shore up; shot up; show up; shut up; sign up; sit up; sit up and take notice; size up; slip up; slow up; smell up; snap up; soak up; soften up; somebody up there loves me; speak out (up); speed up; spit up; spruce up; square up; stack up; stand up; stand up and be counted; stand up for; stand up to; stand up with; start up; steamed up; step up; stick up; stir up; stir up a hornets’ nest; stop up; straighten up; straight up; string up; suck up to; suit up; sum up; take up; take up a collection; take up arms; take up for; take up on; take up space; take up where one left off; take up with; talk up; tank up; team up with; think up; throw up; throw up one’s hands; thumbs up; tie up; time is up; tone down (up); tool up; (up) to the hilt; touch up; trade down (up); trial balloon, send up a; trip up; trump up; tune up; turn up; turn up one’s nose; turn up one’s toes; turn up the heat; turn up trumps; wait up; wake-up call; warm up; wash up; what’s cooking (up); what’s (up) with; whip up; whoop it up; wind up; wise up; worked up; work one’s way (up); work up; wrapped up; wrap up; write up." ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/3 "2006-04-06T11:44:49Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#): > > The five year old tossed that question at me last night and I was utterly non-plussed. I had to tell her I had no idea. > > But I also told her that I knew who to ask. > > So why do we hurry up instead of down or whatnot? WAG here, but I’d say it’s hurry _up_ because it corresponds to an _increase_ in speed. “Speed up” makes perfect sense because you’re _raising_ your level of speed, and “hurry up” seems to be a parrallel to this. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/4 "2006-04-06T11:52:07Z")
Mostly because phrasal verbs are a law unto themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/5 "2006-04-06T12:10:01Z")
We _do_ hurry down: > [@](#): > > The Mole would **hurry down** to the HSBC Heliport and then be flown directly to Mole Manor. [http://www.grandprix.com/mole/mole16398.html](http://www.grandprix.com/mole/mole16398.html) > [@](#): > > “Let’s **hurry down** to Snape’s office,” whispered Hermione. “I want to be sure to make it back here before McGonagall.” [http://www.dprophet.com/iofy/chap9pg1.html](http://www.dprophet.com/iofy/chap9pg1.html) And also hurry **on** down: > [@](#): > > So **hurry on down** to your local GM dealer and try to buy new plastic buttons - they don’t sell them separately! [http://www.misterfixit.com/powrwndo.htm](http://www.misterfixit.com/powrwndo.htm) > [@](#): > > Don’t miss out, **hurry on down** to Plaistow Power Sports! [http://www.plaistowpowersports.com/](http://www.plaistowpowersports.com/) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/6 "2006-04-06T13:07:28Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > We _do_ hurry down: [http://www.grandprix.com/mole/mole16398.htmlhttp://www.dprophet.com/iofy/chap9pg1.html](http://www.grandprix.com/mole/mole16398.htmlhttp://www.dprophet.com/iofy/chap9pg1.html) > > And also hurry **on** down:[http://www.misterfixit.com/powrwndo.htmhttp://www.plaistowpowersports.com/](http://www.misterfixit.com/powrwndo.htmhttp://www.plaistowpowersports.com/) I’m parsing those differently, though. I’m not taking “hurrry down” as a single syntactic unit. Rather, instead of: Let’s [hurry down] to Snape’s office. I read: Let’s hurry [down to] Snape’s office. Maybe I’m wrong, but as a stand alone, it doesn’t work. Take this: Hurry up, guys! vs. Hurry down, guys! However, “hurry on down” is acceptable, but has a different meaning than “hurry up.” ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/7 "2006-04-06T13:11:46Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#): > > So why do we hurry up instead of down or whatnot? After I hurry up I slow down. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/8 "2006-04-06T13:13:51Z")
Those 2-word verbs sure are funny, ain’t they? Like: Carrying on (a conversation) Carrying out (a plan) Don’t have anything to do with carrying a suitcase. For non-speakers, the only way to learn them is rote memorization. It’s difficult, but at least it can be done. Now the REAL problem is when the same verb means 2 things , which are exactly the opposite of each other: like **go off** When a light goes off, it _stops_ working, But when a burglar alarm goes off, it _starts_ working. Try 'splaining that to the student you’re tutoring. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/9 "2006-04-06T13:42:07Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > Mostly because phrasal verbs are a law unto themselves. Yeah. You can try to come up with an explanation, but I doubt you’ll find one that’s really satisfactory. These things don’t follow any particular rules. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/10 "2006-04-06T13:53:17Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Now the REAL problem is when the same verb means 2 things , which are exactly the opposite > of each other: like **go off** > When a light goes off, it _stops_ working, But when a burglar alarm goes off, it _starts_ working. Try 'splaining that to the student you’re tutoring. It’s not as arbitrary as it first appears. Car alarms, alarm clocks, and bombs also ‘go off’…in short, the rule of thumb seems to be that loud, sudden, and annoying or dangerous things ‘go off’ when they start working, while lightbulbs and certain other appliances ‘go off’ when they stop working. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/11 "2006-04-06T13:58:40Z")
“Go off” is a case like “hurry up” vs. “hurry down”. I’d have to say that when it means “explode,” it’s a phrasal verb, since the meaning can’t be deduced from the parts; but when it means “be extinguished” (or for that matter “rot”), it’s more of a verb phrase with an adjective complement (like “go pale,” etc.) Phrasal verbs _are_ a law to themselves. They have lots of weird syntactic ways they behave (they’re the best refutation to the fake ending-sentences-with-prepositions rule; try “correcting” “How much can she put up with?”), and their meaning cannot be deduced from the parts, usually (such as “put up with,” again). ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/12 "2006-04-06T14:01:48Z")
Of course, that said, “hurry up” isn’t much of a phrasal verb, since the meaning can be deduced from the sum of its parts, and since “up” isn’t a preposition. “Up” often denotes an increase, intensification, or completion of the verb (spruce up, smarten up, speed up, tally up, eat up) and can even be used productively. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/13 "2006-04-06T14:12:51Z")
All right, while all of that’s helpful (if placing me in the position of answering the kid’s questions with either ‘who knows?’ or ‘because’) let me take a slightly different approach: Is there a history to the phrase ‘hurry up’ that would explain how it entered the language? It’s an oddity that may have just grown organically but it’s possible that there’s a true origin out there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/14 "2006-04-06T15:15:15Z")
Up is basically an intensifier in this usage. “Hurry up” is a more urgent command than mere “hurry.” English is filled with intensifiers of this sort. A discussion of intensifiers and how they come to form parts of words can be found in the excellent The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind’s Greatest Invention, by Guy Deutscher. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/15 "2006-04-06T15:44:26Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > Of course, that said, “hurry up” isn’t much of a phrasal verb, since the meaning can be deduced from the sum of its parts, and since “up” isn’t a preposition. > > “Up” often denotes an increase, intensification, or completion of the verb (spruce up, smarten up, speed up, tally up, eat up) and can even be used productively. “Up” isn’t a preposition? “The cat climbed up the tree.” It certainly looks like a preposition in that sentence. Are you sure that “up” can be paired with verbs _productively_? That would be a reasonable argument that “hurry up” isn’t a phrasal verb, but I can’t come up with any examples that don’t sound really strained at best. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/16 "2006-04-06T16:09:16Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > “Up” isn’t a preposition? In our example, it’s an adverb. ---
**Author:** ![indecisive1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/41988e/32.png) [@indecisive1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/indecisive1)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/17 "2006-04-06T17:42:58Z")
It’s from farming, as in "hurry up, (into the hayloft) Frank, before my dad sees you! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/18 "2006-04-06T18:20:32Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > In our example, it’s an adverb. In which example? In many analyses of phrasal verbs, the particle is considered neither an adverb nor a preposition (though I believe the recent and very well-reputed Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, no doubt alongside many other grammars, does actually treat them as prepositions.) In that case, it seems circular and somewhat illogical to say “This isn’t a phrasal verb because it’s not a preposition.” Otherwise, do you mean to say it’s not a preposition because it doesn’t have a complement? Because, again, the particles of phrasal verbs quite often don’t, so I guess I still don’t understand how it matters. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/19 "2006-04-06T19:52:35Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > In which example? In many analyses of phrasal verbs, the particle is considered neither an adverb nor a preposition (though I believe the recent and very well-reputed Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, no doubt alongside many other grammars, does actually treat them as prepositions.) In that case, it seems circular and somewhat illogical to say “This isn’t a phrasal verb because it’s not a preposition.” Otherwise, do you mean to say it’s not a preposition because it doesn’t have a complement? Because, again, the particles of phrasal verbs quite often don’t, so I guess I still don’t understand how it matters. > > 😕 I’m saying that in the case of the OP, “up” is being used as an adverb. From [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com): > [@](#): > > up ( P ) Pronunciation Key (p) > **adv.** > > […] > > 1. Used as an intensifier of the action of a verb: _typed up a list._ > > […] ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554/20 "2006-04-06T19:55:43Z")
For a word to be a preposition, it must take an object. Since “up” in “hurry up” or “looking up” or “going up” takes no object, it is not a preposition. “Up” in “the cat is up a tree” or “go up a ladder” or the like _is_ a preposition, since it has an object. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-we-hurry-up/351554.md?page=2)