Have youse ever done one on the phrase "to pick up"? Here's my dilemma: The other day I was walking to brunch and was going to meet my friend on the way, then continue on to the brunch place. I was about to say I'd pick her up... but we'd be walking, so I didn't. But then I thought about it: If the phrase was shortened from "pick you up along the way," then I think it still works. Right? I'd be using "pick up" in the same way as "pick-up basketball" (you pick people up at the court to play). But maybe I'm wrong. I need to look it up in the OED, I guess, but I haven't been to the library in a while.So: can you use the phrase "pick up" when a vehicle is not involved? If no, then what's the right verb?
Survey says! 77% say "yes."
You can solve the problem by physically picking her up. If you are a puny weakling, perhaps you should use "come get" or, if you are Victorian, "collect." "I will collect you posthaste, and then we will away!"
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, if you must insist upon "pick up," please do as I do and remember to include a direct object to avoid an unsightly dangling preposition. "I will pick you up the car" is both accurate and evocative.
I would probably say, "I will pick you up at 10 and by pick up I mean stop by so we can walk together." My friends are used to my excessive need to be very clear and my verbosity.
ReplyDeleteI think you can use "pick up." "Meet up" would also work.
ReplyDeleteI think back to when we were kids. If we were going to go play baseball, we would definitely tell a friend "we'll pick you up on the way." So I vote yes.
ReplyDeleteYes, you can. Can we discuss legitimate journalist Dan McQuade's use of the term "youse?" That could be an interesting one for the normative/descriptive grammar rodeons.
ReplyDeleteYes, I pick people up all the time here in Chicago, especially at the airport, by just meeting them and we continue on together.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd say "I'll swing by" which implies that we'd be continuing on to wherever we were going, but with out the vehicular implications.
ReplyDelete"Swing by" or "come by" would be totally appropriate, but I see nothing wrong with "pick up" in this context -- after all, we "dial" our phones and "hang up" when the call is finished, even though not many of us still use rotary dials or phones that need to be hung in the cradle to disconnect.
ReplyDeletePick up is fine in this case. Other common usage of "pick up" when a vehicle isn't involved includes picking up someone at a bar (says the single girl.)
ReplyDeleteI use the term "pick up" without a vehicle all the time -- I pick up stuff, like, constantly.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think the term is fine.