1

The Cambridge Dictionary defines up and running in the following way:

If something, especially a system or a machine, is up and running it is operating

And gives an example:

The engineer soon got the air-conditioning up and running again.

Given this definition and example is the following sentence correct?

In this lecture we will cover how to get up and running with Julia.

Should not it be like this?

In this lecture we will cover how to get Julia up and running.

I have searched for getting up and running with sth but could not find any definition in any dictionary. Is this way of using up and running a slang/everyday English or?

5
  • 1
    I think which one you use is largely dependent on who/what "Julia" is.
    – WS2
    Jun 4, 2022 at 7:28
  • It's the name of a software.
    – G.T.
    Jun 4, 2022 at 7:33
  • 2
    Actually “get up and running with” a software appears to be a common expression google.com/…
    – user 66974
    Jun 4, 2022 at 7:37
  • I have seen tehm already, but I could not find its definition, i.e. why it is lingistically correct. Of course, I understaand its meaning in the context but I am interested in what it means and how a native speaker understands it.
    – G.T.
    Jun 4, 2022 at 7:43
  • 1
    'Get up and running with' with the broadened sense 'get to grips with and start to use effectively' is rarer than the prototypical usage, but is used reasonably frequently in reasonable examples on the internet, and is perfectly clear. 'Should it not be' ... entails a judgement call (so no 'answer' here by me), but I'd say the sentence is fine. And your suggested rewrite means something different, ignoring the familiarisation aspect. Jun 4, 2022 at 10:13

2 Answers 2

1

To me they mean different things.

If I "get Julia up and running" that means I install her on my machine so that she is operating.

But to have "got up and running with Julia" would suggest I had begun using her, and it was not simply Julia, but my own application which was "up and running".

1
  • I read "...get up and runnning with Julia" as meaning that Julia was a woman giving the lecture. However the context probably made it clear that Julia is a development environment or computer language so "getting up and running with Julia" would be similar to "getting up and running" with Ada or Ruby.
    – BoldBen
    Jun 5, 2022 at 6:43
-1

I found you a definition in Collins:

up and running

PHRASE

If something such as a system or place is up and running, it is operating normally. We're trying to get the medical facilities up and running again.

Synonyms: operating, going, working, functioning

1
  • That's a difition of "up and running" which I mention in my question and the question is about "getting up and running with sth" which apparently as people above say have slightly different meaning.
    – G.T.
    Jun 5, 2022 at 7:15

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.