Up for Grabs

[keannu]

Source : https://www.idiomsandslang.com/up-for-grabs-2/

*Up for Grabs
Definition: : Available
example: : I put some books in the lunch room. They’re up for grabs—if you want them, take them.”========================

Do you use this idiom a lot? Does is have an special origin related to the "up for" part?

 

[Tarheel]

Source : https://www.idiomsandslang.com/up-for-grabs-2/

*Up for Grabs
Definition: : Available
example: : I put some books in the lunch room. They’re up for grabs—if you want them, take them.”========================

Do you use this idiom a lot? Does it have an special origin related to the "up for" part?

No.
I don't know.

 

[Tdol]

Do you use this idiom a lot? Does is have an special origin related to the "up for" part?

The first question doesn't make much sense- we use idioms when appropriate, so someone might use it 100% of the times the context comes up, but only use it every two months. How would you define the usage. If you really want to see the frequency of usage, check with sites like these:

https://books.google.com/ngrams
https://www.english-corpora.org/coca/
https://www.english-corpora.org/bnc

If you are up for something, you are willing or keen to do it. I would suggest that the definition with grabs would be better if it said available to anyone- it has the idea of the first person who arrives gets them.

 

[Tarheel]

Tdol always thinks of stuff I don't.
;-)

 

[Skrej]

I think a better question might be 'Do you personally use this idiom?"

Still, given the relatively small number of people who use this site (compared to the English speaking population in the world) and the even smaller number of those who'll choose to respond, it's not a very accurate measure of usage.

For what it's worth, I do use this idiom when the context is appropriate.

 

[Tarheel]

It might worth noting that almost every native speaker knows what it means even if they don't use it much (if at all).

 

[jutfrank]

I think a better question might be 'do you personally use this idiom?"

It might worth noting that almost every native speaker knows what it means even if they don't use it much (if at all).

I think what keannu really wants to know is whether he should bother attempting to acquire this idiom or whether it's best ignored, for the time being at least. One criterion in answering this is the frequency with which the general population uses it. Acquiring a piece of vocabulary includes taking it into the set of words one readily understands, regardless of how frequently one actually produces that word.

I'd say that this particular idiom is common and useful enough for keannu to learn how to use, based on what I can tell of his current level of English.