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I have some question about the meaning of the verb phrase "open up" in this yahoo article:

Here's why a once-hostile Arab country is talking about opening up ties with Israel

I am also not too sure about the usage of the adjective "open" in the same article:

Relations with Sudan — now a notable member of the Saudi anti-Iran coalition — would de-link regional diplomacy from the peace process with the Palestinians, potentially enabling more open relations with countries like Saudi Arabia and creating a precedent for future cooperation with Arab states.

What do "open up ties" and "more open relations" mean? Could they be technical jargon?

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  • "establishing ties", "more friendly relations"
    – CowperKettle
    Commented Jan 25, 2016 at 5:58
  • @CopperKettle Could you provide links to definitions (if they exist) that the usages in the article? Thanks!
    – meatie
    Commented Jan 25, 2016 at 6:12
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    I believe that here the meaning is clear from the context. It would be a waste of time to turn to dictionaries.. P.S. You might try reading some poetry - it's full of non-standard word usage, and this might be a good training in "guessing" the meaning of words.
    – CowperKettle
    Commented Jan 25, 2016 at 6:39
  • @CopperKettle So, it is technical lingo?
    – meatie
    Commented Jan 26, 2016 at 6:25
  • meatie -- Please try to choose better tags for your questions. "meaning", "grammar", and "usage" are almost useless as tags. If you are asking about the meaning of a particular word, you can use the "word-meaning" tag. You do not need to put the same three bad tags on all of your questions. One good tag is good enough
    – Jasper
    Commented Jan 28, 2016 at 6:43

1 Answer 1

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Diplomatic relationships are often described in terms of an "open" vs "closed" paradigm.

Open relations suggest a high level of communication, diplomatic cooperation and a relatively free passage of goods and currency across borders, as can be observed among the member states in the European Union.

Closed relations are just the opposite, where states are not communicating or cooperating,are refusing to allow trade, and are restricting people's travel between the two, for example, as was the situation between the United States and Cuba up until last year.

Here's a nice essay someone wrote analyzing historical Japanese diplomatic relations that should help you become familiar with the usage of the terminology.

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  • So, it is indeed technical jargon!
    – meatie
    Commented Jan 27, 2016 at 5:04
  • I wouldn't describe it as 'jargon' per say. The word 'jargon' is often used to describe terminology who's meaning is cryptic and understandable only to those who have been exposed to it before. In this case, these terms "Open" and "Closed" could be considered layman's terms - that is, common words being used to characterize technical situations in order to provide a broader understanding. However, if I described a diplomatic relationship as an entente, for example, this may be considered something closer to jargon, at least among English speakers.
    – Adam Starrh
    Commented Jan 27, 2016 at 11:42
  • But I could not find dictionary definitions that fit respectively such usages in "open up ties" and "open relations".
    – meatie
    Commented Jan 28, 2016 at 23:37
  • 10 a : characterized by ready accessibility and usually generous attitude: as (1) : generous in giving (2) : willing to hear and consider or to accept and deal with : responsive (3) : free from reserve or pretense : frank b : accessible to the influx of new factors (as foreign goods) <an open market> At: merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open
    – Adam Starrh
    Commented Jan 30, 2016 at 12:02
  • Okay, so a definition for the adjective "open" seems to exist. Do you know if a definition for the verb phrase "open up" exist that fits the usage in my question?
    – meatie
    Commented Jan 31, 2016 at 4:00

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