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This is the second entry for the phrasal verb “pick up”. All of the definitions today will be separable, but tomorrow I will conclude with more definitions of “pick up” with intransitive ones. So, let’s get started with part two. I have six more meanings of “pick up” today.

7. to pay a restaurant bill for someone else (usually used with “the tab” or “the check”). For example:

Don’t worry about getting any extra money for tonight. I’m going to pick up the tab.

The check will be picked up by the boss tonight. (passive voice)

8. to learn something through experience. For example:

When I was traveling through France, I picked up a little French.

I don’t know how to use this machine, but I’m sure I can pick it up quickly.

9. to talk to someone in the hopes of a sexual relationship. For example:

A strange guy tried to pick me up in the bar last night. I told him I wasn’t interested.

My friend got picked up by a really handsome guy in the bar last night. (passive voice)

10. for the police to arrest someone. For example:

The police finally picked up the guy who stole my money. I hope he goes to prison for a long time.

The guy who stole my money was finally picked up by the police. (passive voice)

11. for something to give someone more energy. For example:

If I’m tired, I have a cup of coffee. It really picks me up.

12. to receive a radio or television signal. For example:

My radio is really good. It can pick up signals from over 300 kilometres away.

Signals from over 300 kilometres away can be picked up by my radio. (passive voice)

As I mentioned before, tomorrow will be the third and last entry for “pick up” in which I’ll go over three more definitions which are intransitive. As a reminder, intransitive means that the verb of the sentence does NOT take an object.

Many phrasal verbs in the English language have more than one meaning. However, the expression “pick up” has the most number of meanings. I want to spend the next three blog entries going over all of the various meanings. So today I will go over six meanings of this phrasal verb.

1. for someone to put something in their hand and lift it (usually from the ground). For example:

I saw a fifty dollar bill on the ground this morning, so I picked it up and put it in my pocket.

2. to go somewhere and get something from a store (which has often been paid for already). For example:

I picked up your shirts at the dry cleaners earlier. I put them on your bed.

3. to get someone in a car. For example:

Can you pick me up at the station at 9:00 tonight?

I was picked up at the station by my father. (passive voice)

4. to continue a discussion after a break. For example:

It’s time to eat now, so let’s pick this up again after lunch.

5. to buy something. For example:

I picked up a really nice set of golf clubs on sale at the shopping mall.

6. to get an illness like a cold or the flu. For example:

My husband picked up a cold while we were on vacation.

A cold was picked up by several people travelling on the same bus. (passive voice)

Tomorrow I will continue with another six meanings of this expression.

Today I want to write about the phrasal verb: “sew up”. This expression has two meanings:

1. to close something by sewing it with a needle and thread. For example:

There’s a rip in your shirt. Give it to me and I’ll sew it up for you.

After a four hour operation, the doctor completed the surgery and sewed up his patient.

After four hours, the patient was sewn up by the doctor. (passive voice)

2. for someone to complete a business deal successfully. For example:

I think we can sew up this business deal in a few days. After that, we’ll all be very rich.

This business deal can be sewn up in a few days. (passive voice)

The first meaning of this phrasal verb is very logical, but most people aren’t aware of the second meaning. It is very useful expression for business people who want to talk about completing a business deal. I hope any of my readers who are business people will be able to use it now.

Today’s phrasal verb is “hear out”, and it is used when we talk about getting another person to listen to a reason, idea or excuse about something. For example:

I know you’re angry at Brett for missing your birthday party, but he has a good excuse, so just hear him out.

I thought the boss would listen to my idea for improving business but, after I told him it would cost a few thousand dollars, he refused to hear me out.

A: I don’t want to hear any more of your stupid ideas to get rich!

B: Just hear me out. This one is a really good idea.

So when we use this expression, the listener doesn’t want to listen because of being angry, annoyed, busy, etc. The speaker uses “hear out” as a way to get the reluctant person to listen.

I think it’s time for another phrasal verb today, so I’d like to write about “live up to”. This is used when we want to talk about fulfilling another person’s expectation or following their example. For example:

My father has such high expectations for success. I could never live up to his expectations.

My father’s expectations for success can never be lived up to. (passive voice)

My mother is an amazing woman. I’ve tried hard all my life to live up to her example.

My idol is Nelson Mandela. Whenever I’m in a difficult situation, I try to live up to his example and rise above my anger and frustration.

So, as you can see from these examples, the person that you are trying to live up to is usually a high status person like a parent, teacher, politician, celebrity, etc.

Today’s phrasal verb is “hike up”, and it means to raise something, usually a piece of clothing or the price of something. For example:

My sister always hikes up her skirt after she leaves for school because she wants the boys to notice her legs.

That store keeps hiking up their prices, so I don’t want to shop there anymore.

The prices in that store have been hiked up again. (passive voice)

The airlines always hike up the airfares during the summer. It’s really annoying.

In English, the word “hike” is always connected to the idea of going up. In the Japanese language (and maybe in other languages too), when people say they will “go hiking”, it is on a flat surface. However, in English we would say “walking” for this. If we are walking up a mountain or a hill, then we say “hiking” because we are physically going up.

Today’s expression is “shoot down”, and it has two meanings.

1. to make an airplane fall by shooting it. For example:

My grandfather was in World War Two as a pilot. The Germans shot his plane down during the war, but he survived.

My grandfather’s plane was shot down by the Germans in World War Two. (passive voice)

2. to reject an idea or a person. For example:

We presented our proposal to the boss, but he shot it down. Now we have to think of  a new idea.

Our proposal was shot down by the boss. (passive voice)

I have a great idea for improving business, but it will cost a little bit of money to implement. I hope the boss doesn’t shoot it down.

I suggested to my friends that we see a horror movie, but everyone shot it down.

I asked Erika for a date, but she shot me down.

My sister told Jerry that she wanted to be his girlfriend, but he shot her down. She’s really upset right now.

The first meaning “shoot down” is almost always used in war situations. We don’t use it when talking about birds.

When it comes to the second meaning, when we are talking about rejecting a person, it’s always used for dating situations, not with friendships.

The phrasal verb for today is “run into”, and it has two meanings:

1. to meet someone by accident. For example:

I ran into one of my old friends from high school at the shopping mall today.

I don’t want to go to Jerry’s Pub because my ex-girlfriend often goes there, and I don’t want to run into her.

Have you ever run into your boss outside of the office?

2. to encounter a problem. For example:

We’ve run into a problem with one of our investors. He’s decided not to give us any money after all.

I ran into a technical problem while I was trying to set up the Internet connection on my computer.

Our presentation has to go well tomorrow. I hope we don’t run into any problems.

In both cases, the expression means to encounter someone or something by accident. In the first meaning, it could be a positive or a negative situation but, in the second meaning, it’s always negative.

Today’s phrasal verb is “put up with”, and it means to tolerate someone or something that is negative. For example:

My new boss is really demanding, but I need my job. I guess I’ll just have to put up with him.

I’m so tired of your insults, and I’m not going to put up with them anymore!

My friend just left her husband. He’s an alcoholic, and she put up with it for years because she loved him, but she just couldn’t do it any longer.

I know you don’t like getting up early, but you’re just going to have to put up with it if you want this job.

I’m planning to move out of my apartment because my neighbors are really noisy. I just can’t put up with them anymore.

As you can see, it is often used with: “can’t”, “couldn’t”, “have to” and “not going to”.  This is a very common expression, so I hope that you will find it useful in your daily conversations.

Today, I have another phrasal verb for you: “get back to”. This one is used to say that a person will contact another person at another time either to return their phone call or to give them some information. For example:

I’m sorry. Mr. Johnson isn’t here right now, but I’ll have him get back to you as soon as possible.

I’m really sorry, but I don’t have that information for you. I’ll find out and get back to you this afternoon.

I’m not sure if we can come to your party this weekend. I’ll check with my wife and get back to you tomorrow.

A: How much are the AB-40 computers?

B: I’m so sorry, but I don’t know the price. Is it ok if I get back to you with the price later today?

This phrasal verb is often used in business situations, but it can be used in free time situations sometimes, especially with invitations, as in the third example.