Pick-me-up

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi,
Will you excuse my being economical with new threads as there are some hazy points I’d like to get cleared, namely:

  1. “Pick-me-up” will always remain unchanged, even proposed to someone else, as in, “You are looking tired. Need a pick-me-up”?
  2. “Go belly up” - alludes to the posture of a dead fish in the water though according to dictionaries, applied to businesses/things going badly wrong. Could you say someone (who you don’t like, of course) went belly up like a dead fish?
    3.'Likewise" and “alike”, both mean “in the same way or in a similar way”, but what is the subtlety that favors one over the other when they both seem acceptable?
    Many thanks.
2
  1. Yes, you are correct.
  2. is not usually applied to a person, unless you are saying that they died.
  3. Can you give an example of when you would expect them both to be acceptable, please?
3

Well, it seems I’ve jumped the gun saying they are interchangeable. On reflection, there’s a difference but what…?
OK, have a go:
The twins were dressed alike. [“in a similar way”]
Congress, we ask you to do likewise. [“in a similar way”] - No signs of interchangeability.
Stress patterns likewise reveal an opposition of tension and compression patterns in radial and circumferential forcefields. - How about, “Stress patterns reveal an opposition of tension and compression patterns in radial and circumferential forcefields alike.”(any change in meaning)?
That is recognised by its supporters and opponents alike. - “That is likewise recognised by its supporters and opponents.”-?..
Need a hand here really.