stand up with

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

stand up with (third-person singular simple present stands up with, present participle standing up with, simple past and past participle stood up with)

1. (transitive, idiomatic) To publicly support (someone).
   • 2001 September 9, Ann Patchett, “Numbers: Women Among Women”, in New York Times, retrieved 26 November 2013:

     [I]t was important as a woman to stand up with other women and raise our voices against the injustice.

   • 2011 January 20, Ella Pickover, “Al Fayed threatens to 'take council to hell'”, in The Independent, UK, retrieved 26 November 2013:

     He continued: "So I am standing up with the community and the villagers of Surrey to say 'No'."

2. (transitive, idiomatic) In a wedding ceremony, to serve as best man or as maid of honor or as an official witness for (someone).
   • 1891 October 6, “Notable Wedding”, in Lawrence Daily Journal, retrieved 26 November 2013, page 1:

     It was a quiet wedding. . . . Marshall P. Wilder, the humorist, who is a warm personal friend of the bride, stood up with her, and Mr. Cramer, who is connected in an editorial capacity with Frank Leslie's Illustrated Weekly, and Mrs. Cramer, were the only other witnesses.

   • 1931 July 9, “Rudy Vallee Weds Faye Webb, Actress”, in Lewiston Daily Sun, retrieved 26 November 2013, page 6:

     Mrs. Herbert Schmidt, of Hoboken, acted as bridesmaid. . . . Edwin Scheuine stood up with Rudy.

   • 2007 March 25, Marcelle S. Fischler, “Always a Bridesdude, Never a Bridegroom?”, in New York Times, retrieved 26 November 2013:

     When Bob and Urania Greene were married two years ago, Mr. Greene, who is Oprah Winfrey’s personal trainer, had Ms. Winfrey serve as his “best woman.” “People are ignoring gender roles,” said Antonia van der Meer, the editor-in-chief of Modern Bride and Elegant Bride. “There are times where it is more appropriate that you chose the person with whom you are closest or the person who you feel is the best possible candidate for standing up with you while you say your vows.”

3. (transitive, idiomatic, archaic) To begin to dance with (someone); to dance with (someone).
   • 1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter 38, in Emma: […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC:

     "If Mrs. Gilbert wishes to dance," said he, "I shall have great pleasure, I am sure—for, though beginning to feel myself rather an old married man, and that my dancing days are over, it would give me very great pleasure at any time to stand up with an old friend like Mrs. Gilbert."

   • 1879, Anthony Trollope, chapter 32, in The Duke's Children:

     Lord Silverbridge made up his mind that as he could not dance with Miss Boncassen he would not dance at all. He was not angry at being rejected, and when he saw her stand up with Dolly Longstaff he felt no jealousy.

   • 1905, William Butler Yeats, “The Twisting of the Rope”, in Stories of Red Hanrahan:

     When Hanrahan heard what they were saying he said: "That is so, I will dance with her; there is no man in the house must dance with her but myself." He stood up with her then, and led her out by the hand.

   • 1909, Lucy Maud Montgomery, “A Redeeming Sacrifice”, in Short Stories: 1909-1922:

     Joan had not danced with anybody else that evening. . . . Not a man in Lyall's house that night but grudged him the privilege of standing up with Joan Shelley.

References

• “stand up with”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.