Definition:
The most important point.
The central issue.
The main point.
informally: “the bottom line”

Sample sentences:

In a divorce, when there’s a child, the crux is which parent’s life-style is best for the child.
When choosing between two apartments, the crux is which you can comfortably afford.
Both cars are excellent quality and affordable, the crux is safety features.
The crux of the matter is that attitudes have changed; women are now vital to the workforce.
His speech was excellent; the crux was world peace.

This is an easy and handy little word to know.
Try using it in a few sentences of your own — send them back to me — let’s see what you can do with it.

It’s easy to understand the word UP, when it means toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? Or, get UP? Or, sit UP?
At a meeting, why does a topic of discussion come UP?
Why, when we’re visiting old Aunt Nellie, do we have to speak UP?
And why are the officers of a club UP for re-election?
And why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?
We call UP our friends and with some flowers we brighten UP a room.
We polish UP the silver for company and we warm UP the leftovers for dinner.
We clean UP the kitchen and we lock UP the house and some guys like to fix UP old cars.
And why, when we arrange for our single friends to meet, is it called a fix UP?

If flour and sugar get more expensive, I’ll have to UP the price of my cupcakes!
I was tired yesterday, but I’m UP to the job today — and then I’ll be UP for a big raise at my job.

At other times this little word has a really special meaning. People stir UP trouble, they line UP for tickets; we do a little exercise to work UP to an appetite. And, when I accidentally call my older daughter Florie and my younger, Pam (it’s the other way around). it’s called a mix UP.

We have to think UP excuses for avoiding things we don’t like to do.
Sometimes we’re in an UP mood. And sometimes, if we’re really angry with someone, we say “UP yours.” (That’s rude and vulgar, so use it sparingly and please, don’t tell anyone you learned it from your English teacher!)

To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special. And when we dress UP we get out the mascara and make UP. And, when someone is overdressed for the occasion, someone else is liable to say, “Did you see that
get UP Maggie was wearing?”

And this UP is really confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is clogged UP.

We start out babies and then we grow UP.
If we live in NYC, we go visit friends UP in Vermont or maybe, and maybe in September, we go apple-picking UP state New York.

You have a disagreement with your best friend and then you make UP. When the tube is empty, the toothpaste is used UP. After the doc takes out your appendix, you’re sewn UP. If you’re driving, it’s best that you pass UP the next drink. You have a fight with your girlfriend and then bring her flowers to make UP. We run into an old friend we haven’t seen in awhile and we say, “Hey, what’s UP?!?

We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.
We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!

To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions

If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don’t give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.

When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. When the sun comes out we say it’s clearing UP. When it rains, it wets UP the grass and when it doesn’t rain for awhile, things dry UP. When we drink too much, we throw UP and when we’re teething babies, we spit UP. Hopefully we all grow UP, but when we get older, we slow UP.
One could go on & on, so for now I’ll wrap it UP. My time is UP, it’s time to clam UP.
Oh…one more thing: What is the first thing you do in the morning & the last thing you do at night? U P (LOL!).
Don’t screw UP! Send this on to everyone you look UP in your address book.

If you can work UP the energy, drop me an email and tell me what you’re UP to.

And, maybe if I slipped UP and missed a few — you’ll ring me UP and let me know.

CAROL, FOR GOD’S SAKE, SHUT UP!!