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Meantolearn Posted 21 years ago
Vocabulary

pull up

1. pull up a car.

Does it mean pull over a car? Why 'up'?

2. pull up a chair.

Does it mean pull a chair toward yourself? Why 'up'?

Thanks,
  

Top answer

Pull up a car is ambiguous without context-- it could mean either to bring the car close to the location (as in pull up to the curb here ), or stop the car (as in pull up your horse ) Pull up a chair = draw a chair closer to the speaker and sit down on it. Up may have to do with closely or completely . In the case of the horse it means to a stop .

— Mister Micawber

  • Pull up a car is ambiguous without context-- it could mean either to bring the car close to the location (as in pull up to the curb here ), or stop the car (as in pull up your horse ) Pull up a chair = draw a chair closer to the speaker and sit down on it.
  • Up may have to do with closely or completely .
  • In the case of the horse it means to a stop .
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4 Answers
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Pull up a car is ambiguous without context-- it could mean either to bring the car close to the location (as in pull up to the curb here), or stop the car (as in pull up your horse)

Pull up a chair = draw a chair closer to the speaker and sit down on it.

Up may have to do with closely or completely. In the case of the hors
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I'm always happy to learn more phrasal verbs so I went to my dictionary about those two.

1. pull up a car
This one I've found a specific meaning to it.
pull up = said of a driver, vehicle or horse: to stop.

2. pull up a chair
I haven't found any example that would involve a chair or something close. I think this is just the basic standard
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"Pull up a chair" is an invitation to join the (seated) speaker.
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Dear friends,

It is perhaps intransitive: «the car pulled up», "the driver pulled over", no?

With best wishes, Emotion: smile
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