up and down

su e giù

Con movimenti ripetuti verso l’alto e poi verso il basso.

In inglese semplice: Moving repeatedly toward a higher position and then a lower one.

• The ball bounced up and down.
• She moved her head up and down to say yes.
• The boat was bobbing up and down on the waves.

Espressioni comuni: jump up and down, bob up and down, move up and down

avanti e indietro

Percorrendo più volte lo stesso tragitto in una direzione e poi in quella opposta.

In inglese semplice: Moving repeatedly in one direction and then the opposite direction along the same route.

• He walked up and down the hall.
• She paced up and down while waiting for the call.
• Why are you walking up and down outside my window?

Come si usa: up and down something (He paced up and down the corridor.)

Sinonimi: back and forth, to and fro

Espressioni comuni: pace up and down, walk up and down

con insistenza, con fermezza

Con grande certezza o fermezza, soprattutto quando si afferma che qualcosa è vero.

In inglese semplice: With great certainty or determination, especially when saying that something is true.

• He swore up and down that he was innocent.
• She insisted up and down that the story was true.
• They had sworn up and down that they would pay us.

Come si usa: swear up and down that… (She swore up and down that she had locked the door.)

Sinonimi: emphatically, insistently

Espressioni comuni: swear up and down, insist up and down

in tutto, lungo tutto

In molti luoghi diversi di una zona.

In inglese semplice: In many different places within an area.

• Shops up and down the country closed early.
• They visited fishing villages up and down the coast.
• Schools up and down the region joined the project.

Come si usa: up and down something (Similar festivals take place up and down the country.)

Sinonimi: throughout, all over

Espressioni comuni: up and down Britain, up and down England

verticale

Il cavo dell’ancora è teso e quasi verticale, con l’ancora proprio sotto la nave.

In inglese semplice: An anchor cable is tight and nearly vertical, with the anchor directly below the ship.

• The anchor cable is up and down.
• The crew reported that the chain was up and down.
• Keep the vessel steady while the cable is up and down.

Sinonimi: vertical, perpendicular

Contrari: horizontal

Espressioni comuni: cable up and down, chain up and down

assoluto, autentico

Sottolinea che qualcuno possiede in modo evidente e completo la qualità indicata.

In inglese semplice: Completely and clearly having the quality described.

• He was an up and down honest man.
• She described him as up and down sincere.
• The village trusted that up and down honest fellow.

Sinonimi: absolute, downright, thoroughgoing

Espressioni comuni: up and down honest, up and down sincere

a due piani

Descrive un edificio con due piani, uno sopra l’altro.

In inglese semplice: A building with two floors, one above the other.

• They lived in an up and down house.
• The old up and down cottage had a narrow staircase.
• Was their first home an up and down building?

Sinonimi: two-story, two-storey

Contrari: single-story

Espressioni comuni: up and down house, up and down cottage