Send someone up ➡️🏫🏥

Meaning

To send someone to prison or a mental hospital.

Origin

This phrase likely emerged from the stark reality of ascending to stricter confines. Imagine the guards ushering a newly convicted prisoner, not just out of sight, but up a flight of stairs, into the isolation of a cell block or perhaps even a solitary confinement wing. The journey was upwards, towards a more permanent, enclosed existence. Similarly, for those deemed mentally unwell, the path to an asylum often involved being literally taken to an upper floor, separated from the general populace, signifying a one-way trip into confinement.

⚖️ legal 😥😔 sadness 🔒 secrets 😨😱 fear

Send someone up represented with emoji➡️🏫🏥

This playful sequence of arrows and institutions deftly captures the pithy idiom. It underscores the sometimes abrupt transition from freedom to confinement, whether for justice or for care. Note how the simple directional arrow functions as a powerful pivot, inviting a dialogue on societal judgments and the perceived destinations for those deemed outside the norm.

Examples

  • After robbing the bank, the criminals were sent up for a long time.
  • The judge threatened to send him up if he continued to break the law.
  • If you eat all the cookies before dinner, I might have to send you up to the cookie jar reformatory.
  • The king decided to send the jester up to the giggling castle for acting a bit too silly.

Frequently asked questions

Is 'send someone up' a formal or informal phrase?

'Send someone up' is a very informal idiom. It's typically used in casual conversation and slang, not in formal writing or speeches.

What's the opposite of 'send someone up'?

The opposite of 'send someone up' could be 'let someone out' or 'release someone,' as it implies taking someone out of confinement rather than putting them in.

Can 'send someone up' be used figuratively, not literally?

While the origin is literal, 'send someone up' can be used figuratively to mean sending someone to a higher authority or a more serious consequence. However, its primary and most common meaning relates to confinement.

Did 'send someone up' originate in the UK or the US?

While difficult to pinpoint definitively, the phrase's imagery of ascending to confinement strongly suggests British English origins, possibly from prison slang or architectural layouts of older institutions.

Similar to "send someone up"

Commit someone
Both phrases deal with institutionalizing someone, but 'commit someone' sounds more clinical and detached, as if it's a medical decision rather than a judgment
Put someone away
Both phrases mean to confine someone, but 'send someone up' has a slightly more active, punitive feel, whereas 'put someone away' can imply a gentler, albeit still absolute, removal from society
Throw the book at someone
Both phrases involve enacting consequences, but 'send someone up' specifically targets confinement (prison or asylum), while 'throw the book at someone' is about the severity of the penalty, which could include that but also other harsh measures

Opposite of "send someone up"

Let someone off the hook
This phrase argues for leniency and freedom from consequences, directly opposing the idea of sending someone to prison
Give someone a second chance
This champions rehabilitation and reintegration, standing in stark contrast to the finality of being sent 'up' to an institution

Related to "send someone up"

Do time
This phrase describes the experience of being in prison, the direct result of being 'sent up' for a crime
Crack up
This is the colloquial counterpart to being sent to a mental hospital, focusing on the state of mental breakdown that might lead to such an institution
Face the music
This phrase precedes the act of being 'sent up', signifying the moment one must accept the consequences of their actions
Behind bars
This describes the physical location one ends up in after being 'sent up' to prison