[Idiom] coming up vs coming around

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dilodi83

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Dear teachers,
can you tell me what difference is between "coming up" and "coming around" when talking about events or things that are going to take place or happen? Do you use them with the same meaning or is there a distinction?

For istance, in this:
Christmas is coming up.
Christmas is coming around.
The lecture is coming up.
The lecture is coming around.

Of course I'd like to know the difference between them not only in these two cases I have written but also in other sort of contexts.
Thank you very much.
 

mykwyner

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In this case, around and up are not prepositions, they are particles. They don't indicate direction, but are used idiomatically to indicate intensity. To my ear, (AmE) an event that is coming up is going to occur before an event that is coming around.
 

dilodi83

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Thank you so much for the answer, but how can I use them correctly? Can I have some examples? Is there a way for a not mothertongue to use them correctly like a mothertongue does?
 
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