yourself up mean?
2007-02-27 12:57:14 · 2 answers · asked by Pandora 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Setting yourself up- a figure of speech meaning that you are leading yourself to another thing. If you're setting yourself up for a disaster, that means that you are leading yourself to a disastrous outcome.
2007-02-27 13:15:33 · answer #1 · answered by The Animal Psychiatrist♬♪ 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Answerer number one got it. I'm not sure of the origins, but it might go back to things centuries ago, when con men and swindlers tried to set up their victims with careful preparation and maneuvering in order to take advantage of them. It might also refer to games - like a chess game, where you set up the pieces and then set up a series of moves so that the game has a specific outcome you are aiming for. So if you set yourself up, you are sabotaging yourself (if it's a negative connotation) without having anyone taking on the role of the con man or swindler. You can also set yourself up in a positive way, such as setting goals to graduate from college and learn marketable skills so that you can do better in life economically-speaking.
2007-02-28 01:45:14 · answer #2 · answered by Cookie777 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋