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Reader question: Coronavirus lockup or coronavirus lockdown, which is correct? My comments: Both are correct. This has to do with the fact that sometimes, "up" and "down" mean the same thing in English. Odd, I know. Count this as an example as to how difficult and unreasonable the English language can be to the foreign learner. We all understand that up and down are opposites, up pointing to the sky whereas down to the ground. In many cases, they do point to opposite directions. Going downtown, for example, means going to the town center or the center of any large city where the business district is located. Going uptown, on the other hand, means going the other direction, towards the outskirts of the town or city. However, sometimes, going up means going in the same direction as going down. I have the game of basketball as proof. In basketball, going up the court means exactly as going down the court. Strangely, in both cases, they mean you're on offense, dribbling the ball towards the basket you're attacking. Same thing in the case of lockup or lockdown. Both literally mean fastening the door or gate to a place using a lock. And both words are used to describe the situation where a factory or prison closes all the doors so that all activities are halted or kept to a minimum. In the coronavirus lockup or lockdown, this means people are encouraged to stay home while all businesses are asked to shutter up. Close shop, in other words. | 
