Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[jasonlulu_2000]

Men would stop by with wild berries, ice cream, truck parts and bullets to see if I was up for courting. I wasn't, but they were civil anyway. The women on that mountain worked harder than any I'd ever met. They taught me the value of a whetstone to sharpen my knives, how to store food in the creek and keep it cold and safe. I learned to keep enough for an extra plate for company.

What does the underlined phrase mean?

2. After four years in that hollow, I moved back into town. I saw that a lot of people were having a really hard time, losing their jobs and homes. With the help of a real estate broker I chatted up at the grocery store, I managed to rent a big enough house to take in a handful of people.

What does "chatted up" mean in this sentence?

thanks

[pugachevV]

If I was up for courting means if I was interested in a (romantic) relationship.

I chatted up = I engaged in flirtatious conversation.