Phrasal Verb Fun

show
(show, showed, shown)
To display or to demonstrate something, often as opposed to only talking
about it.
show off
Off
often has the sense of not being quite right. For example,
be off
and
go off
.
Show off means to display something, or yourself, in a way that is not
really acceptable. Often it means a vulgar display. Once, I saw a Rolls-
Royce with all the metal parts covered in gold. Was this showing off?
Edwina was showing off her new car, so that we could admire it.
We use this verb with and without an object.
'Do you like Eddie's new car?'
'No. She is just showing off.'
With an object, this is a separable two-word verb
Careful.
show up
We went out as a family for an evening meal, but Valerie and her
husband didn't show up. We were worried because they didn't phone.
(That is, they didn't appear.)
Without an object, this is very similar to
turn up
.
Woody Allen says that an important part of success is showing
up
.
Two-word verb without an object
No problem.
When you show somebody up, however, the meaning is very different. It

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means that you are showing that person - you are displaying or revealing
him -
up
to the light of truth, up to the sight of the audience. You are
revealing him to be a hypocrite. You are showing up the distance between
his words and the truth.
He was a famous politician, a man of the people, who lived simply. But
then a reporter found his Swiss bank accounts, and showed him up.
Separable two-word verb
. Careful.
shut
(shut, shut, shut)
When you shut the door, you cannot go in the room. Close the door
means exactly the same. It is the opposite of open
shut up
Up
is complete. Shut completely. Usually it means shut (your mouth)
completely. It is a rude way of saying, 'Please, sir or madam, we have
heard many of your words recently, and we were wondering if you could
do us the favour of not speaking for a little while.' Do not say this to
anyone much larger or crazier than you.
Fixed expression.
sign
(sign, signed, signed)
To sign a letter or any other document is, of course, to put your name on it
in your own handwriting. It means accepting responsibility for what is
written there.
sign on
To sign on, in British English, means to accept the dole, the state money
you get when you have no job. In the good old days, unfortunate people
had to sign
on
a cardboard form to receive their money.
Two-word verb without an object
No problem.
sign up
Up
is the direction of authority. When you signed up, you signed to defend

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the King against his enemies. You joined the army.
Join up
has the same meaning, and to
be called up
means that you have
been 'invited' to join the forces.
Two-word verb without an object
No problem.