We say going "up" or "down" to somewhere - is it determined by height, latitude or what?

Question

Sometimes we say we're going up to somewhere, sometimes going down to somewhere. Is this going north and south from where you are, or up and down in terms of height (hills etc), or both?
Definite answers only please. No speculation. If there's not an answer, don't guess, say there's no answer.

Answer 1

Using either of these correctly usually goes by the following nomenclature:

UP: either a vertical ascent from the present position or going to somewhere that is geographically located north of the present position.

DOWN: either a vertical descent from the present position or going to somewhere that is geographically located south of the present position.

In the more vernacular and slang, it could mean even just moving to a more beneficial or perceived higher prestige, as in "Uptown" or "Upscale" whereas the opposite in "Downtown" or "Downsize"

Answer 2

I think much of it is simply coloquial usage--up north, down south, back east, out west. Uptown and downtown are often the same place. Up north and down south probably began with the river flow--when you went down the river (Mississippi/Ohio), you went south. I notice usage sometimes varies with region, so you must be careful. Of course, if something is obviously downhill....it'll always be down in the valley, the valley so low.

Answer 3

All the answers are correct.
However, for some reason, in UK people often say 'up to London' even if they are from the north and London is in the south.
.

Answer 4

In cases where it's not determined by position (for example, I'm going up to the 32nd floor; I'm going down to the basement), it varies a lot, and often makes no difference:

I'm going down to the mall.
I'm going up to the mall.

In these cases, both 'down' and 'up' just mean "away from here, and towards there." You could just say "I'm going to the mall," and it would mean the same thing.

Answer 5

North and South. We also say over as in east or west.

Answer 6

Up is north; down is south; over is east or west. That's no speculation. That's the god's honest fact of it.
-MM

Answer 7

Latitude, height, common usage, and many other factors. It's not a strictly defined term.

Answer 8

Depends on where you are at at the moment. Like at home right now, if I were going to head south, I would be heading down, if I were heading north, I would be heading up... Everything depends on your current location.

Answer 9

record me in case you like for being a *****, I formally do no longer care yet Nateena is a bloody liar. 4% of her solutions are desirable solutions. in no way been given a desirable answer? Take an prolonged walk off a quick cliff you mendacity rat. yet that replaced right into a incredibly sturdy humorous tale. did no longer make me giggle in spite of if it replaced into unique.

Answer 10

Technically speaking, it's based on latitude.