Think about it
Stand
To take a stand is to declare a decision, hold the line on an opinion, speak my conclusion as if to convince others to join me. Taking a stand is a firm thing to do. It can say ‘I’m not moving on this or from here, as in Custer’s last stand’. A lemonade stand is a structure used mostly by children to sell lemonade and the picture I have says the price per glass is 5 cents. That kind of stand holds things (like lemonade for sale)
A plant stand is a structure to hold a potted plant. The thing is, to plant is to start the act of taking a stand, as in planting a stand of oak trees. To stand tall is to be proud but not necessarily to stay still. To be stand offish is to move away and be shy about joining, again, not about staying still, just being quiet and inconspicuous. To stand down is to stop resisting or to declare a job done and we can all go home now
When you or I stand we hold ourselves fully erect, on our feet, in a vertical position. Yet, when we stand on our head the feet are up and the head on the bottom. I stand at about 6 feet and 1 inch tall. How tall do you stand? Though taking a stand is a position of firmness, I can also stand aside, acquiesce, yield and not be at all firm. I can also stand accused which has nothing to do with my posture
To stand out is to be noticed, the opposite of blending in. The joke is that if you stand outside then you are outstanding. To stand by is to wait, but be ready. To stand in is to take someone’s place. To do stand up is to deliver a comedy routine while standing on a stage. A hand stand is not a place to store your hands when not in use, but is rather to hold your body erect starting with your hands on the floor, feet straight up
My standing within a class is my position with respect to the scores I have achieved in the exams along the way, compared to others taking the same class. My standing in the community is earned by contributions and support given to that community. This speaks to reputation as well. So an upstanding person has a good reputation. Community standing used to matter a lot, not such a big deal these days. Or is it?