Be up to
“Always up to something.”
Meaning: When someone always does something naughty, they are “up to no good”.
When do we use it?
This phrase can either be used as a joke or seriously. For example, when a child goes quiet, the parents might wonder if the child is being naughty. Or when you can’t see someone, you wonder what they are busy doing.
How do we use it?
We use this phrase when we do not know what someone is doing.
• I know when my child is quiet, she is up to no good.
• She was sneaking out the house every night getting up to no good.
• He will be up to something interesting this weekend.
• When I found them they were up to something naughty.
• If I leave my dog alone, he always gets up to something like eating my slippers.
Similar expressions
• He was devising a scheme.
• The child was being naughty.
• The child was being sneaky.
• The dog behaved badly.
Example in English conversations
A) Charlie, what are doing?
B) Nothing, Mom.
A) When you go this quiet, I know you’re up to no good.
A) I put a camera in the yard to see what my dog gets up to during the day.
B) Did you see something interesting?
A) I thought he plays all day, but he actually just sleeps.
A) My husband is late.
B) I think he might be up to something.
A) Maybe he is buying me flowers again. That naughty man!
A) What did you get up to this weekend?
B) I went hiking in the mountains.