Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

pull someone up

English answer:

Picked up

Added to glossary by Phoenix III
Jun 30, 2016 12:20
7 yrs ago
2 viewers *
English term

pull someone up

English Other Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
I'm translating a witness statement from a Scottish security guard:
One night two of the workers went out in a white car that pulled them up. I spoke to the guy in charge but he wasn't pleased about it.

The statement is handwritten and "puled" is spelled with a single "l" - I'm wondering whether I'm misreading it.
Responses
3 +6 Picked up
Change log

Jul 5, 2016 12:39: Phoenix III Created KOG entry

Discussion

Neil Ashby Jun 30, 2016:
Of course! Good spot Phil
philgoddard Jun 30, 2016:
I think It's just unclear handwriting. "Puled" is "picked".
Neil Ashby Jun 30, 2016:
FWIW, I don't see any suggestion that a taxi is involved. Nor a limousine.
As Tony M says, people can pull up people (nothing to do with cars, but rather "reprimand") or a driver can pull up a car, but a car cannot pull up people.
Neil Ashby Jun 30, 2016:
HI Ewa If possible, can you say what the workers do? Or where the security guard works? It could be quite helpful. Thanks.
Ewa Dabrowska (asker) Jun 30, 2016:
the rest doesn't clear anything up. It just says that their boss told him to mind his own business; I suspect there is an error here, and yes it would make sense if it said "and I pulled them up"
Tony M Jun 30, 2016:
@ Asker As it stands, it doesn't seem to make much sense either way. A 'white car' can't 'pull anything up'; what does the rest of the document gop on to say?

It sounds to me as if the security guard is saying that two workers went of in a white care and the security guard then stopped them, which would be the normal meaning of 'to pull up'

Unless it is the 'them' that is wrong, in which case the car might have 'pulled up' level with the gatehouse, for example — another possible meaning if it is used intransitively.

It's going to be hard to get to the bottom of this unless the rest of your text perhaps makes it clearer?

Responses

+6
39 mins
Selected

Picked up

They were either hitching a ride or knew the driver. If it had been a taxi the guard would have said so. A "white car" means a private vehicle. So, I think they were simply asking for a ride or someone they knew "the white car" that picked them up.
Peer comment(s):

agree philgoddard : But "white car" doesn't mean private vehicle, it means a car that's white in colour.
5 mins
Right, the color has nothing to do but the guard said "white" instead of "taxi". Thanks so much!
agree Andrew Bramhall : ' pulled up' is a poor choice of word here; it means to slow down to a halt, or to call someone to account, normally;
1 hr
Thanks a million!
agree Tina Vonhof (X) : I agree that 'white car' indicates a privat vehicle. If it was any kind of company vehicle or taxi, the guard would have said so.
1 hr
Many thanks!
agree acetran
3 hrs
Thanks.
agree Yasutomo Kanazawa
1 day 21 hrs
Many thanks!
agree Tony M
4 days
Thank you, Tony
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks"
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