dish up
phr. v..phr. v.. to put food onto plates so that people can eat it.
phr. v.. to serve food by portioning it from a larger container onto individual plates; can also be used figuratively to describe the presentation of information or entertainment.
Dinner is ready, so I will dish up now.
The chef began to dish up the main course as soon as the guests were seated.
The media outlet continues to dish up sensationalist headlines to attract younger viewers who are increasingly skeptical of traditional news.
- Particles
- up
- Separability
- optional
- Pattern
- dish + (object) + up
often used when serving a meal at home or in a casual setting.
contrast with 'serve' (more formal/general) and 'plate up' (more professional/culinary); the figurative use often implies that the thing being 'dished up' is of low quality or easily consumed.
He dished the soup up the bowls.He dished the soup into the bowls.while 'dish up' means to serve, you still need 'into' or 'onto' to specify the destination container.