A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

stand on one’s feet • stand on one’s own feet
stand on one’s feet—remain standing: He stood on his feet,
twelve to sixteen hours per day, in front of a hot oven that
never stopped circulating thousands of loaves of baking bread.
stand on one’s own feet—(also: stand on one’s own two feet) be
independent; rely on one’s own resources: I won’t lend you
any money, it’s time you stood on your own feet and earned
your own living.
stand up to someone • stand up with someone
stand up to someone —(also: stick up to someone) meet an
opponent with courage; resist a person: If you don’t stand up
to this man, he will abuse you unmercifully.
stand up with someone —
1
. take part in a dance with a part-
ner: I thought you were to stand up with Mr. Tomlinson the
two last dances. 2. (also: stand up for someone) act as grooms-
man or bridesmaid at smb.’s wedding: Of course I know John.
He stood up with me at my wedding.
Note: 
Neither expression correlates in meaning with the phrase
stand someone up—(coll.) fail to keep an arrangement to meet
a person, especially one’s romantic partner: Peter said he’d meet
me outside the station, but he stood me up.
See also: stand for someone / stand up for someone.
star route system • star system
star route system —(U.S.) mail delivery in a rural area served
by a private carrier who takes mail from a railroad station and
delivers it to mailboxes: The “star route” system has been
superseded by the admirable system of rural free deliveries.
star system —(Cinema, TV) the practice of promoting emi-
nent actors in leading roles: It can dispense with the star sys-
tem by concentrating on teamwork in which lead actors one
night become walk-ons the next.