Discussion:
meanings of "up front"
(too old to reply)
Stefan Ram
2021-01-30 20:34:10 UTC
Permalink
TLDR: Just a report, no questions asked

Some dictonaries (about 20 years old) seem to ignore "up front"
totally. Many (from today) do give an explanations but they explain
only the two figurative meanings "in advance" (of a payment) and
"frank, forthright". As a learner, I sometimes encounter uses as

|Sit up front and toward the middle
|- the so-called 'zone of participation'

where it means "in the front", which is only explained
in a few dictionaries. In

|up front teaching

(or maybe "up-front teaching"), it seems to have the meaning
"teaching with the teacher up front" where "up front" now
has the meaning "being in a leading position". This meaning
is given in a few dictionary, but not with the explanantion
of the transfer from "teacher" to "teaching".

Finally, with verbs of motion, as in

|to go up front

, it can mean "to the front" - a meaning I did not find in any
dictionary.

And if you read until here: "No questions asked" also can be
a kind of an idiom, meaning "not nosey" as in

|They rent these things out by
|the hour, no questions asked.

(although the meaning here also is the literal meaning).

And if you read until here: "nosey" may also be spelled "nosy".

And if you read until here: "spelled" may also be spelled "spelt".
Tony Cooper
2021-01-30 20:58:29 UTC
Permalink
Post by Stefan Ram
TLDR: Just a report, no questions asked
Some dictonaries (about 20 years old) seem to ignore "up front"
totally. Many (from today) do give an explanations but they explain
only the two figurative meanings "in advance" (of a payment) and
"frank, forthright". As a learner, I sometimes encounter uses as
|Sit up front and toward the middle
|- the so-called 'zone of participation'
where it means "in the front", which is only explained
in a few dictionaries. In
|up front teaching
(or maybe "up-front teaching"), it seems to have the meaning
"teaching with the teacher up front" where "up front" now
has the meaning "being in a leading position". This meaning
is given in a few dictionary, but not with the explanantion
of the transfer from "teacher" to "teaching".
Finally, with verbs of motion, as in
|to go up front
, it can mean "to the front" - a meaning I did not find in any
dictionary.
You should be able to know that "front" indicates a position, and "to
the front" then means being in or going to a forward position.
Post by Stefan Ram
And if you read until here: "No questions asked" also can be
a kind of an idiom, meaning "not nosey" as in
No, it means the speaker is not interested in the provenance of
whatever is being offered. Usually, the legal provenance.

It is stronger than "not nosey" because whenever "No questions asked"
is used there's a suggestion that whatever is being offered may have
been obtained illegally.

They nosey buyer of a used item might want to know how long you've had
it, what you paid for it, and what it has been used for. The buyer
that says "No questions asked" is stating that he doesn't care if it's
been stolen or if you do not have authorization to sell the item.
Post by Stefan Ram
|They rent these things out by
|the hour, no questions asked.
In this case, the meaning is that the renter doesn't care if you are
renting the item for some illegal or immoral use.
--
Tony Cooper Orlando Florida
bozo de niro
2021-02-01 19:14:33 UTC
Permalink
Post by Tony Cooper
Post by Stefan Ram
TLDR: Just a report, no questions asked
Some dictonaries (about 20 years old) seem to ignore "up front"
totally. Many (from today) do give an explanations but they explain
only the two figurative meanings "in advance" (of a payment) and
"frank, forthright". As a learner, I sometimes encounter uses as
|Sit up front and toward the middle
|- the so-called 'zone of participation'
where it means "in the front", which is only explained
in a few dictionaries. In
|up front teaching
(or maybe "up-front teaching"), it seems to have the meaning
"teaching with the teacher up front" where "up front" now
has the meaning "being in a leading position". This meaning
is given in a few dictionary, but not with the explanantion
of the transfer from "teacher" to "teaching".
Finally, with verbs of motion, as in
|to go up front
, it can mean "to the front" - a meaning I did not find in any
dictionary.
You should be able to know that "front" indicates a position, and "to
the front" then means being in or going to a forward position.
Post by Stefan Ram
And if you read until here: "No questions asked" also can be
a kind of an idiom, meaning "not nosey" as in
No, it means the speaker is not interested in the provenance of
whatever is being offered. Usually, the legal provenance.
It is stronger than "not nosey" because whenever "No questions asked"
is used there's a suggestion that whatever is being offered may have
been obtained illegally.
They nosey buyer of a used item might want to know how long you've had
it, what you paid for it, and what it has been used for. The buyer
that says "No questions asked" is stating that he doesn't care if it's
been stolen or if you do not have authorization to sell the item.
Post by Stefan Ram
|They rent these things out by
|the hour, no questions asked.
In this case, the meaning is that the renter doesn't care if you are
renting the item for some illegal or immoral use.
--
Tony Cooper Orlando Florida
Post by Stefan Ram
|They rent these things out by
|the hour, no questions asked.
That's a loaded metaphor if I ever heard one with multiple applications as he trots out some guns and hookers and says say when?
Lewis
2021-01-31 03:33:21 UTC
Permalink
Post by Stefan Ram
TLDR: Just a report, no questions asked
Some dictonaries (about 20 years old) seem to ignore "up front"
totally. Many (from today) do give an explanations but they explain
only the two figurative meanings "in advance" (of a payment) and
"frank, forthright". As a learner, I sometimes encounter uses as
|Sit up front and toward the middle
|- the so-called 'zone of participation'
where it means "in the front", which is only explained
in a few dictionaries. In
No, it does not mean in the front, it means up front. In the area that
is close to the front, but not necessarily right in the front row. You
could be in the eighth row of a movie theatre adn be sitting up front.
Post by Stefan Ram
|up front teaching
(or maybe "up-front teaching"), it seems to have the meaning
"teaching with the teacher up front" where "up front" now
has the meaning "being in a leading position". This meaning
I am not sure what you think upfront teaching means from what you have
said here. Upfront teaching is a specific teaching method, it has
nothing to do with the position of the teacher. I know it only as
Upfront, not "up front" or "up-front".
Post by Stefan Ram
Finally, with verbs of motion, as in
|to go up front
, it can mean "to the front" - a meaning I did not find in any
dictionary.
Because it means what the words themselves mean. It is not an idiom nor
a specific phrase needing definition.
Post by Stefan Ram
(although the meaning here also is the literal meaning).
And if you read until here: "nosey" may also be spelled "nosy".
You seem to referring to something that you have no included.
Post by Stefan Ram
And if you read until here: "spelled" may also be spelled "spelt".
Many MANY words have alternate spellings and pronunciations.

If you really want to melt your brain, "Upfronts" is a noun that has
nothing to do with Up or Front.
--
"There's sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin
dime and at least the trains all run on time but they don't go
anywhere."
Ken Blake
2021-01-31 14:50:02 UTC
Permalink
Post by Lewis
Post by Stefan Ram
TLDR: Just a report, no questions asked
Some dictonaries (about 20 years old) seem to ignore "up front"
totally. Many (from today) do give an explanations but they explain
only the two figurative meanings "in advance" (of a payment) and
"frank, forthright". As a learner, I sometimes encounter uses as
|Sit up front and toward the middle
|- the so-called 'zone of participation'
where it means "in the front", which is only explained
in a few dictionaries. In
No, it does not mean in the front, it means up front. In the area that
is close to the front, but not necessarily right in the front row. You
could be in the eighth row of a movie theatre adn be sitting up front.
Could? Yes. Are? No.

For example, if the movie theater had 100 rows, certainly, but if it had
only ten rows, no.
--
Ken
Lewis
2021-01-31 16:35:48 UTC
Permalink
Post by Ken Blake
Post by Lewis
Post by Stefan Ram
TLDR: Just a report, no questions asked
Some dictonaries (about 20 years old) seem to ignore "up front"
totally. Many (from today) do give an explanations but they explain
only the two figurative meanings "in advance" (of a payment) and
"frank, forthright". As a learner, I sometimes encounter uses as
|Sit up front and toward the middle
|- the so-called 'zone of participation'
where it means "in the front", which is only explained
in a few dictionaries. In
No, it does not mean in the front, it means up front. In the area that
is close to the front, but not necessarily right in the front row. You
could be in the eighth row of a movie theatre adn be sitting up front.
Could? Yes. Are? No.
For example, if the movie theater had 100 rows, certainly, but if it had
only ten rows, no.
The vast majority of movie theatres I've been in have had much more than
10 rows. Even small ones tend to be long and narrow instead of squat.
But the 8th row is a particular favorite location in a specific movie
theatre that I go to, and one reasons for that position is that it is
very rare for anyone to site in front of me.

But yes, There's a reason I said "you could be".

The point is that "up front" in position does not mean "the front" it
means in the area that one might consider the front portion, which may
be quite a ways from the front in absolutely terms.

At a sportsball stadium "up front" might be the first 30 rows. Perhaps
more.
--
Host: "Freud divided the human mind into three parts: the ego, the
superego, and the what?"
Wendy Liebman: "The superego with cheese."
Pamela
2021-01-31 17:51:39 UTC
Permalink
Post by Stefan Ram
TLDR: Just a report, no questions asked
Some dictonaries (about 20 years old) seem to ignore "up front"
totally. Many (from today) do give an explanations but they
explain only the two figurative meanings "in advance" (of a
payment) and "frank, forthright". As a learner, I sometimes
encounter uses as
|Sit up front and toward the middle
|- the so-called 'zone of participation'
where it means "in the front", which is only explained
in a few dictionaries. In
|up front teaching
(or maybe "up-front teaching"), it seems to have the meaning
"teaching with the teacher up front" where "up front" now
has the meaning "being in a leading position". This meaning
is given in a few dictionary, but not with the explanantion
of the transfer from "teacher" to "teaching".
Finally, with verbs of motion, as in
|to go up front
, it can mean "to the front" - a meaning I did not find in any
dictionary.
That is the main meaning I would give "up front". I visualise being
in a crowd with those at the front being "up front"
Post by Stefan Ram
And if you read until here: "No questions asked" also can be
a kind of an idiom, meaning "not nosey" as in
|They rent these things out by
|the hour, no questions asked.
(although the meaning here also is the literal meaning).
And if you read until here: "nosey" may also be spelled "nosy".
And if you read until here: "spelled" may also be spelled
"spelt".
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