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Glite Dictionary
to know which end is up

to know which end is up

1 7.8
To understand how things work in a place or job
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : saber qué está pasando
  • As I entered the new job, I quickly realized I didn't know which end is up in the company's complicated structure.

Examples

  • It still doesn't give me the right to come along and spell out the facts of life for a person who is a genius, even if it just so happens he doesn't know which end is up.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • We've been deceived for so long we don't even know which end is up.

    Blog text (6)

  • I don't know which end is up.

    Broadcast News (1987)

  • I don't know which end is up.

    Broadcast News (1987)

  • Men don't know which end is up till a woman points.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Eddie had had her so busy in the last few days that she didn't know which end was up.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • He doesn't always know which end is up.

    Crossfire (1947)

  • Connie widened her pretty eyes at Birnbaum as if to indicate she knew which end was up.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • I'm not one of your politically correct black nationalists, but I don't need to justify myself to a little girl who doesn't know which end is up.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • After working non-stop for several hours, I didn't know which end is up and needed to take a break.

Synonyms

to know what's going on
vsto know which end is up
294 3.1

To be aware of what is happening

focuses more on deeper knowledge of how things work rather than current events
to know what's what
vsto know which end is up
  • Informal
15 6.7

To understand a situation or subject well

emphasizes practical knowledge of how things work rather than broad general info
to see things clearly
vsto know which end is up
4 3.9

To understand a situation well without being confused

means knowing how things work in a field, not only having clear insight
to know what is what
vsto know which end is up
  • Informal
1 6.4

To understand what is really happening because of experience

leans more toward systematic knowledge of how things work rather than just facts
to suss the situation
vsto know which end is up
  • UK
1 7.9

Work out what is happening in a situation by looking and thinking

implies established understanding of processes rather than actively working something out
which end is up
vsto know which end is up
  • Informal
1 9.9

To know what is happening in a confusing situation

is about understanding how things work in a field rather than only being aware

How Knowledgeable

to know which end is up
  • Informal
1 7.8
to learn the ropes
  • Informal
9 3.4

Surface Forms

know which end is up infinitive
knowing which end is up present participle
knows which end is up third person singular
knew which end is up past
known which end is up past participle

Morphology

know + which + end + be + up

The expression uses a literal image of physical orientation ('which end is up') extended metaphorically to mean understanding the situation, so there is a recognizable link to the constituent meanings. However the pragmatic sense 'know what is going on' is an idiomatic extension that a B1 learner knowing the words would not reliably infer without prior exposure.

Etymology

Know which end is up comes from a practical image: if you can tell which end of a tool or animal is up, you know how to hold and use it the right way. So, the phrase now means 'to understand what is going on' in a situation.