Upside down meaning in English

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Definition

(the table is) upside down: (the table is) in the opposite of its usual position, with the top side at the bottom adjective

Exercise 1

"You should stand upside down for 30 seconds."

From the list below, select the sentences which use the phrase "upside down" CORRECTLY.

There may be more than one correct answer!

Jason was standing upside down, alone in his bedroom, when the earthquake hit.

Could you take this plate upside down stairs for me please?

I know you're not really reading that book: you're holding it upside down.

I'm going upside downtown this afternoon: do you want to come?

"You should stand upside down for 30 seconds."

From the list below, select the sentences which use the phrase "upside down" CORRECTLY.

There may be more than one correct answer!

Jason was standing upside down, alone in his bedroom, when the earthquake hit.

This is a correct usage of "upside down", and gives the same context as that used by Horatio in this phone call. To "stand upside down" is to stand on one's head, with one's feet in the air. Horatio thinks this will cure Philip's hiccups. Example: "Look at that yogi standing upside down! His face has gone blue!".

Could you take this plate upside down stairs for me please?

This sentence is grammatically incorrect. It should read "Could you take this plate down stairs for me please?". "Downstairs" is the lower level of a building: the opposite of "upstairs".

I know you're not really reading that book: you're holding it upside down.

This sentence uses the expression "upside down" correctly. Here, we are describing something which is positioned "incorrectly" so that what should be the top is at the bottom, and what should be the bottom is at the top! Example: "You should never hold a baby upside down, or its head will explode".

I'm going upside downtown this afternoon: do you want to come?

This does not make sense. The sentence should read "I'm going down town this afternoon: do you want to come?". "Downtown" is a US term referring to the centre of a city. It is the opposite of "uptown", which usually refers to a "chic" area of town!

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