portion up

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "portion up" is not standard in written English and may not be widely recognized.
It could be used informally to suggest dividing something into portions, but it is not commonly accepted. Example: "We need to portion up the cake before serving it to the guests."

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

28 human-written examples

It's simple both to bake and, importantly, to portion up and hand out on squares of kitchen roll.

The Guardian - Books

My advice would be to batch-cook the purees, then portion up and put in the freezer for when the resolutions fade.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Despite this, small and medium-sized enterprises have been remarkably resilient and recent research from Microsoft found that a quarter of SMEs in Europe plan to hire new staff in 2012, while a large portion (up to 40% in some countries) expect to be more successful this year than last.

The Guardian

Upon further examination of the microarray-specific probesets, we demonstrated that some are expressed in either the sense or antisense orientations only, while a portion (up to 8.9%) are detected in sense:antisense (SAS) pairs.

BMC Cancer

In fact, further scrutiny of large mutant collections collected using this strategy sometimes reveals a sizable portion (up to 20 30%) of genomes carrying a second-site mutation affecting fitness.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

Several studies concluded that a significant portion (up to 30%) of air pollutants in (school) buses is due to self-pollution (Adar et al. 2008; Behrentz et al. 2004).

Environmental Health Perspectives

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

31 human-written examples

To their regret, the trio had little opportunity to work together during filming, the downside of portioning up a lone character.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

In this case the problems of point of view are often approached by portioning up the terrain of the novel into chapters or sections that "belong" to different characters.

The Guardian - Books

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) notes that some American restaurants serve portions up to eight times those recommended by the USDA and U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Huffington Post

In the project, titled 12 31 because this is the time Jernigan was given his lethal injection, they used night photography and long exposure to create eerie light paintings using the above animation of the portioned up corpse.

Vice

Last June borough officials approved a plan for the initial 67-acre portion, made up mostly of former Curtiss-Wright property as well as two other parcels.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to dividing food, consider using more common alternatives like "divide into portions" or "separate into servings" for clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "portion up" in formal writing or professional settings, as it might be perceived as too informal or colloquial. Opt for more precise and widely accepted phrases such as "divide into portions" or "distribute in quantities".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "portion up" functions as a phrasal verb, indicating the action of dividing something into smaller, manageable parts. It's often used in the context of food, but can also apply to other divisible items. Ludwig AI identifies it as understandable, though potentially not grammatically ideal.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while "portion up" is generally understood to mean dividing something into smaller parts, it's not always considered grammatically correct, as Ludwig AI points out. It sees limited use in formal and business writing. The phrase is most frequently found in news, media, science, and wiki sources. For improved clarity and formality, consider using alternatives like "divide into portions", "separate into servings", or "split into shares". Remember to avoid using "portion up" in professional settings where a more precise register is preferred.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

divide into portions

More formal and widely accepted alternative, emphasizes the act of dividing.

separate into servings

Focuses on preparing individual servings of food or other items.

split into shares

Implies a division into equal or predetermined parts.

allocate into segments

Highlights the assignment of something into distinct parts.

distribute in quantities

Focuses on the act of giving out in specific amounts.

measure out allotments

Emphasizes the careful measurement and distribution of portions.

ration out supplies

Suggests a limited supply and careful distribution.

break down into units

Highlights the process of dividing a larger entity into smaller, manageable units.

apportion into pieces

Emphasizes giving a share of something to someone or something.

chunk out divisions

Less formal, suggests creating larger, less precise divisions.

FAQs

What does "portion up" mean?

"Portion up" informally means to divide something into smaller parts or servings.

What can I say instead of "portion up"?

You can use alternatives like "divide into portions", "separate into servings", or "split into shares" depending on the context.

Is "portion up" grammatically correct?

While understandable, "portion up" isn't always considered grammatically correct in formal contexts. Ludwig AI suggests it's better to use more standard alternatives.

How can I use "portion up" in a sentence?

You can say, "Let's "portion up" the leftovers for lunch tomorrow". However, consider more formal alternatives like, "Let's divide the leftovers into portions for lunch tomorrow".