>>>>>>>>>>>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.
>
>I see it as shutting down the machinery of the shop but shutting up the doors and windows thereof.
>
>>
>>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.
>
>Well this "slow up" expression is only used by retards then (geddit?)
>
>When you become emperor of the universe may I be your grammar/syntax/semantics chamberlain? Surely you'll have too much on your plate to be concerning yourself with petty idomatic English expressions like this. They'd take down too much of your time and use down too much mental effort.

On the other hand, as EOU, I'll be surrounded by slaves and fawning sycophants who'll take care of most things, so there may not be much for me to do except amuse myself at others' expense, but I'll keep your offer in mind.

>Hey, here's another that often gets misused:
>
>"It's down to you which dog enters the race" - i.e. you have the choice - which should be "up"
>"You left the tap (faucet) running; the flood is up to you" - i.e. your fault - which should be "down"

I have a feeling that 'down to you' is more of a British expression than North American. I've heard it of course, but not often. Over here, it's pretty much always 'up to you' for choice, and 'fault' for blame.

>And of course, as I think Tamar pointed out some months ago, everyone your side of the Atlantic seems to say "different than" rather than "different from".

True.