Tidy (up)

[TitoBr]

Hello there!

Is there a difference in meaning if I tell this to a child.

Please, tidy your room (up).

Cheers,
Tito

 

[Gillnetter]

Hello there!

Is there a difference in meaning if I tell this to a child.

Please, tidy your room (up).

Cheers,
Tito

It's "tidy up your room". You can't "tidy" a room.

 

[emsr2d2]

In BrE, "Please go and tidy your room" is used a lot. I would say that we use "tidy" if it's followed by the thing which is to be tidied, and "tidy up" if it's used on its own.

Please tidy your room.
You need to tidy your desk.
Please help me tidy the sitting room. Our guests will be here in a moment.

I'll be there in ten minutes. I'm just tidying up.
Your room is a wreck. Go and tidy up.

As you can see in this link, in BrE the (up) is optional.

 

[Boris Tatarenko]

I'm not a teacher nor a native speaker.

Tidy your room and tidy your room up mean the same thing for me.
Sometimes we put "up" at the end of sentences because with "up" they seem complete. :-D

When I was in the UK, I heard every day something like "Boris, for God's sake, tidy your room" (though my room was already tidied up).
I'd say "tidy up" and I don't know why. As I said, it seems more complete for me.

 

[Matthew Wai]

You can't "tidy" a room.

The Longman Dictionary reads "Tidy your room!"── quoted from http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/tidy_2
Is the dictionary wrong?

 

[MikeNewYork]

This appears to be a BrE/AmE difference. We, in the US, tend to use "tidy up" if we use "tidy" at all.

 

[Barb_D]

I think it's pretty common. We've got company coming over. Quick, help me tidy up the living room.

 

[probus]

In Canada, "tidy" an "tidy up" are running neck and neck.

 

[Tdol]

I think the UK is similar to Canada.

 

[Raymott]

The Longman Dictionary reads "Tidy your room!"── quoted from http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/tidy_2
Is the dictionary wrong?

You link gives (right at the top): Tidy verb. Tidy also Tidy up.

Also, it shouldn't need to be continually pointed out that if a dictionary says that a certain usage is correct, that doesn't mean that another usage is wrong, or that the dictionary is wrong.

 

[Rover_KE]

I'm sure I've heard 'pick up your room' in American shows/films.

How common is this among AE speakers?

 

[MikeNewYork]

It occurs. I think "clean" or "clean up or "straighten up" your room is more common. At least it was when I had to hear those words. As an adult, I don't have to listen to such things. ;-)

 

[Tdol]

I think "clean" or "clean up or "straighten up" your room is more common.

All of these would work in BrE.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Also, it shouldn't need to be continually pointed out that if a dictionary says that a certain usage is correct, that doesn't mean that another usage is wrong, or that the dictionary is wrong.

I didn't mean the dictionary or the usage was wrong, I meant to ask whether Gillnetter deemed the usage in the dictionary wrong.

 

[Gillnetter]

I didn't mean the dictionary or the usage was wrong, I meant to ask whether Gillnetter deemed the usage in the dictionary wrong.

Indian English has its own twists. English in the Philippines is not the same as it is in the US. People in the southern US states use words and terms that not used in the north. The acceptance of words is somewhat like real estate, it's all local. Even is such a melting pot as Southern California is, "to tidy a room" is not common. No, the dictionary is not wrong but if you noticed "to tidy" is listed as being part of British English.