>>>>>>>>>There's often mention of US "Oversight Committees"
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>I assume these are in order to oversee a process to ensure it's done properly (I've never heard the expression applied in British politics).
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>But it sounds to me like a committee of forgetful old fuddy-duddies:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>"Oh forgive me for not having done such-and-such; it was an oversight on my part" :-)
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>One for your English section, Dragan.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Added to the list - will be posted when I return home and merge the data.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>BTW, one of my favo(u)rites is "I shoot her, I miss her". Is she alive after this sentence?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>O'wise one. Please explain "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth".
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Oh, I know, I know! When buying a horse, you check its teeth. If someone gives you a horse, checking its teeth would be an insult. So, when you are given a gift, don't start checking it over as if you're trying to make sure you weren't cheated.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Perfectly explained. Kudos. Explanations that good are line hens' teeth....
>>>>
>>>>Thanks for the kudos, but I still want to know why slow down and slow up mean the same thing, and why there is no such expression as speed down or hurry down. Well, ok, there is hurry down, but it's got nothing to do with acceleration or deceleration, and it's usually hurry on down anyway.
>>>
>>>I've never heard "slow up". "Pull up" yes.
>>
>>Yes, I've heard "pull up", but that means 'stop' rather than decelerate. 'Slow up' is a fairly common phrase around here. "Slow down" is probably more common, but still...
>
>Then a kid is told to "sit down and sit up", and an outgoing club secretary, at a meeting may "stand up and stand down". Soldiers on duty may have to "stand to and stand by". A guy may have to "shut down and shut up" his machine shop

Well, out of that list, only 'shut down' and 'shut up' (in that context) mean the same thing - or at least very close. I suppose an argument could be made that 'shut down' means permanently, and 'shut up' means 'for the night' or at least for some temporary time.

As far as I can tell, 'slow up' and 'slow down' mean exactly the same thing, and that's just not right. When I become emperor of the universe, I'll see that it's changed.