What does this expression mean: "to be upset"?

Miomi · Fri Jan 14, 2005 3:08 am *What does this expression mean: "to be upset"?*

Test No. incompl/inter-27 "The Two Dogs", question 3

The hound dog was very ......... about this.

(a) overturned
(b) set up
(c) upturned
(d) upset

Test No. incompl/inter-27 "The Two Dogs", answer 3

The hound dog was very upset about this.

Correct answer: (d) upset
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please give me the explanation. Thanks

Miomi

Alan · Fri Jan 14, 2005 12:05 pm *Upset*

Being upset about something describes your feelings of disappointment because things haven't gone the way you had hoped.
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mudium · Fri Jun 20, 2008 17:38 pm *What does this expression mean: "to be upset"?*

hi
why not upturned teacher?
jyo

Torsten · Fri Jun 20, 2008 17:50 pm *What does this expression mean: "to be upset"?*

Because you need an adjective here. "Upturned" is not an adjective while "upset" is.
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Yankee · Fri Jun 20, 2008 17:57 pm *What does this expression mean: "to be upset"?*

.
Sorry to disagree, but 'upturned' is indeed an adjective. However, this adjective is not used to mean the same thing as 'upset' (as it was used in the test sentence).
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=87438&dict=CALD

The meaning of 'upturned' is generally pretty literal. There is generally the sense that something is turned (or perhaps pointed) in an upward direction or position.
Cambridge gives the example of 'an upturned boat' -- i.e. the boat has turned over and now the bottom of the boat is 'up' (rather than the usual 'down').

You might also say that someone has an 'upturned nose'. That would suggest that the person's nose tends to turn upwards (probably at the tip). This would be a reference to the physical shape of the nose. However, the phrase 'upturned nose' could also be used in as in the idiom 'turn one's nose up (at something)'.
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mudium · Fri Jun 20, 2008 21:28 pm *What does this expression mean: "to be upset"?*

hi amy
what does 'tern one's nose up' idiom mean?
jyo

Torsten · Fri Jun 20, 2008 21:35 pm *What does this expression mean: "to be upset"?*

It means you think that something is not good enough for you and that's why you don't like or accept it.
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