Two cowboys come upon an Indian lying on his stomach with his ear to the ground. One of the cowboys stops and says to the other, "You see that Indian?"
"Yeah," says the other cowboy.
"Look," says the first one, "he’s listening to the ground. He can hear things for miles in any direction."
Just then the Indian looks up. "Covered wagon," he says, "about two miles away. Have two horses, one brown, one white. Man, woman, child, household effects in wagon."
"Incredible!" says the cowboy to his friend. "This Indian knows how far away they are, how many horses, what color they are, who is in the wagon, and what is in the wagon. Amazing!"
The Indian looks up and says, "Ran over me about a half hour ago."
prefix in senses of *up, added: 1 as an adverb to verbs and verbal derivations, = ‘upwards’ (upcurved; update).
- as a preposition to nouns forming adverbs and adjectives (up-country; uphill).
- as an adjective to nouns (upland; up-stroke).
- —adv. - at, in, or towards a higher place or a place regarded as higher, e.g. The north, a capital or a university (up in the air; up in scotland; went up to london; came up in 1989).
- a to or in an erect or required position or condition (stood it up; wound up the watch). B in or into an active condition (stirred up trouble; the hunt is up).
- in a stronger or leading position (three goals up; am £10 up; is well up in class).
- to a specified place, person, or time (a child came up to me; fine up till now).
- higher in price or value (our costs are up; shares are up).
- a completely (burn up; eat up). B more loudly or clearly (speak up).
- completed (time is up).
- into a compact, accumulated, or secure state (pack up; save up; tie up).
- out of bed, having risen (are you up yet?; sun is up). 10 happening, esp. Unusually (something is up). 11 (usu. Foll. By before) appearing for trial etc. (up before the magistrate). 12 (of a road etc.) Being repaired. 13 (of a jockey) in the saddle. —prep. - upwards and along, through, or into (climbed up the ladder; went up the road).
- from the bottom to the top of.
- a at or in a higher part of (is up the street). B towards the source of (a river). —adj. - directed upwards (up stroke).
- of travel towards a capital or centre (the up train). —n. Spell of good fortune. —v. (-pp-) 1 colloq. Start, esp. Abruptly, to speak or act (upped and hit him).
- raise (upped their prices). be all up with be hopeless for (a person). On the up (or up and up) colloq. Steadily improving. Up against 1 close to.
