English Oddities
by Of course many words in English have more then one definition.
But there's an odd linguistical phenom in the English language where there are words that have two meanings that happen to be opposites.
For example:
From dictionary.com
Periodic:
(2)Happening or appearing at regular intervals.
(3)Recurring or reappearing from time to time; intermittent.
Any others?
AI Summary
38 Comments
Here's one:
Valuable and Invaluable.
And, while we're at it, how come slim chance and fat chance, mean the same thing?
good one! valuable and invaluable are similar. valuable is something of detirmined worth. invalulable means that it's beyond estimation, priceless.
BAD
1- NOT GOOD
2- GOOD
ty is the smartest guy ever!
yeah, in bizarro world. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, snaaaaap!
keep on... keep truckin'. good stuff.
same with WICKED
Anxious:
1. Uneasy and apprehensive about an uncertain event or matter;worried
2. Eagerly or earnestly desirous.
i dunno about this one. both definitions basically illustrate deep concern and anticipation. one positive, one negative. the dictionary was just explaining the two slants.
Awful:
1. Extremely bad or unpleasant; terrible
2. Commanding awe, filled with awe.
Good one!
I use to always say things were 'awesome' but was constantly corrected by my history teacher who told me that he seriously doubted all those things inspired awe in me.
hahahhaaa. it was higgens wasn't it?
but of course. oh to higgins..it is you I love!
i had a higgins... he was my weight training.. aka... drivers ed/health teacher... he was nuts.. he'd get into fist fights we kids and stuff... he used to play for the eagles back in 1745... he always got angry for the stupidest thing. like peeing in the corner...
I don't see how that's the opposite. things can appear from time to time at regular intervals. do your intermittent wipers randomly move? no they move at regular intervals.
you speak wise truths. i thought the same thing.
Let me explain:
Periodic has a narrow definition and a broader more ambiguous definition. Which are opposites. For example one could say I get Time magazine on a periodic basis, which is semi-monthly, a sectioned off measurable exact time period. But if someone were to ask you "Do you go to the theater?" and you replied "periodically" that would mean ever so often or sporadically, the exact opposite of its use in the former statement. One means at regular intervals, one means occasionally at irregular intervals.
"irregular intervals" <- this is where you went wrong. nowhere in the second def. does it say the intervals HAVE to be irregular. If you look up the definition of interrmittent (which is displayed as a synonymic definition of #2) you will see that it means "coming and going at intervals". Definition #1 is a more narrow definition, but is not it's opposite.
How can something be a narrower/broader definition AND be its opposite? the second definition just allows for non-equal intervals, but does not require them.
By broadening the definition, you allow for some possibilities that do not fit the first(narrow) definition, but not ALL examples of the broader definiton will be the opposite of the first.
how do you sleep at night?? all this stuff going through your head.
START > TURN OFF COMPUTER > TURN OFF
Food for thought,
Yes, not all the examples of the braoder definition will be opposite the first but in the instances where they are; you have a single word that can be used to convey opposite ideas, in harmony with my original statement.
The key here are the ideas that are conveyed in its usage. Indeed opposite ideas.
When I use the term "irregular intervals" I am referring to the span that passes before the event repeats itself where as I think you are referring to the length of the actual event.
what i think is that chinese people practice kung fu while japanese people learn to cook in front of other people and make cool volcano's out of onions.
Oh man..that onion trick is the best!
noo i love it when the flip the zucchini right straight into my eye, covering it with oils and junk and stuff.. and it burns, and i scream like a little girl... and go blind for about 2 minutes. good times.
no. I'm talking about the time in between events. thats what an "interval" is. go back and read my statement like 14 more times.
Ouch! That was caustic.
haha, don't mess with dean. he's on the offense when he knows he's right.
For the sake of clarity let me explain what I mean:
Periodic has a definition that's synonomous with sporadic and one that's synonomous with regulated. These really are opposite concepts.
Just quit while you're still up.. before dean takes off his glasses and pocket protecters.. and goes BUCK WILD with his dictionary / thesaurus combos. hiyyyya
and let me clarify.
the second definition is *not* synonymous with sporadic. something that fits that second definition *can* be sporadic, but it does not *have* to be.
::spoken with the utmost diplomacy::
and since you say that it can be sporaidic you concede that they're are instances where these definitions are opposites.
tai and sexy are so similiar.. i mean... c'monnnn
hahaha...since we're doing this, i submit flammable and inflammable...where the meaning of inflammable was changed, because people were getting confused...
don't they both mean the same thing?
interesting:
Usage Note: Historically, flammable and
inflammable mean the same thing. However, the presence of the prefix
in- has misled many people into assuming that inflammable means
?not flammable? or ?noncombustible.? The prefix -in in inflammable
is not, however, the Latin negative prefix -in, which is related to the
English -un and appears in such words as indecent and
inglorious. Rather, this -in is an intensive prefix derived from
the Latin preposition in. This prefix also appears in the word
enflame. But many people are not aware of this derivation, and for
clarity's sake it is advisable to use only flammable to give
warnings.
that has always confused me.
interesting