why is it:
that it makes sense to "give up", "give in" (both with connotations of surrender), but it doesn't make sense to "give down" or "give out"? (what would they mean?) why DO "giving up" and "giving in" mean similar things anyway? or are they similar? is "giving up" leaving things "up" to some higher power, god perhaps? is "giving in" a collapsing inwards, or is it an "active yielding?"
there's also: "give away" which means to, well, give something away... often meaning something's too easy. like a "give away" answer on a quiz.
and then we "get" to "get." here are prepositions for "get":
we can "get up" and "get down" (both meaning something similar: picture james brown singing both in the same song...)
"get out" is a demand to go away.
but "get in," while making sense, is not a real cliche phrase, it's just a request to enter, for example, a car...
and then there's "get away." to go away, but in a liberating sense.
and "get over" means to overcome.
overall, giving has the connotation of yielding, no matter what the prepositional word associated with it. appropriate prepositions associated with it are "up", "in", and "away."
getting, on the other hand, is far more active. "up", "down", "out", "away", "over." all imply, "DO IT."
in our (western) culture, giving is not an "active" extension of the self, it is a passive thing, as though it is not "natural (?)" to do so, it is something against our "active" will; getting, on the other hand, is the actualization of things. acquisition (getting) is associated with activity (opposite of passivity).
we could do similar analyses with "taking." "take up", "take out", "take away", "take over."
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