I've never understood ''wind up'' in English

Does ''wind up'' have the same meaning as ''end up'' or not?

If not, what's the difference?

 

If one winded up as something, does it mean he ended up as something?

 

Wind up means many things.
You can wind an old clock up.
You can also annoy folk as a prank.

 

How about above?

 

Yes that also.

 

You can also put the wind up someone.
That means to scare them.

 

So I can say that sooner or later, everybody will wind up dead, meaning that they will end up dead

 

Interesting

 

trust you. I feel faint about to happen.

 

Pendulum clocks were among the first popular clocks, which were among the first popular household machines and people would "wind up" grandfather with a key.

 

I didn't understand the last sentence. What did you do the cat?

 

That is somewhat different to winding someone up.

When you say that you are winding someone up, you are using "wind up" as TO wind the person up which making it a verb. However, the saying is also a metaphor.

When someone "winds up dead" it is a pronoun

The English language is full of these strange anomalies where the meaning of a phrase changes with the context and whether a word is used as a verb, a noun or an adjective. This is what makes it so difficult, particularly since certain metaphors take on different meanings in different English speaking countries.

One of the funniest is that when you talk about someone's "BUTT" in the UK, you are referring to their cigarette end after smoking. However if you ask someone for their butt in the US, they think that you want to perform a sexual act with them.

Grammar also varies a lot, particularly between England and Ireland and some different words are used. One of the funniest differences is the rubber TEAT on a babies bottle in England is a TIT in Ireland.
I will never forget the day that Jane rushed into the shop just as it was closing and asked the poor young shop assistant whether she had any tits. The shocked look on the girls face was priceless and I was doubled up laughing.

This video should amuse you.

 

Grandeur, to wind up means - as you said - to end up.

To be wound up, however, means something entirely different.

SO

He winds up the cat. The cat is wound up.

or

I experience stress at work. I am feeling wound up. (here, "wound" is the past tense of "wind", and not to be confused with the blustery wind... this explanation isn't working, is it?

 

My cat takes offence with this statement...