Pull up

Question

Consider the following sentence:"Jodie’s house was near ours in Kennebunkport, and during the summers Dad would PULL UP in the boat outside her house and honk the foghorn." In this contexto, does 'pull up' mean to 'get into'?And could that same verb ('to pull up') be used if instead of a boat, it was a car?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Christine Christie
"Jodie’s house was near ours in Kennebunkport, and during the summers Dad would PULL UP in the boat outside her house and honk the foghorn."

In this ~~contexto,~~ context, does 'pull up' mean to 'get into'?

No. Not at all. It has nothing to do with getting in or getting out of a vehicle.

Your sentence suggests that Dad was traveling in the boat and stopped outside Jodie's house to signal with the foghorn that he had arrived (and possibly was ready to take on passengers for a ride in the boat).

In its idiomatic meaning "pull up" refers to the final slowing action of a vehicle before it stops. The vehicle then stops/arrives. (Car, truck, boat, plane — it doesn't matter what kind of vehicle.)

We pulled up to a gas pump.
Suddenly a cyclist pulled up to the hotel.
They drove to town and pulled up in front a restaurant.

CJ

Pull up

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