Antilogies are words that have a secondary meaning that is the opposite to their primary one. This words confound and confuse. And sometimes amuse. Here are some of these.
Bag (it): Capture it; (slang) discard it
Below par : Inferior; superior (golf score)
Blown away : (We were): Crushed; ( US colloq.) overjoyed
Boned : Containing bones (e.g., corset stays); without bones (e.g., serving fish)
Buckle (v.): Fasten; collapse
Charterer : Provider; user
Cite : Praise; condemn
Cleave : Chop apart; stick together
Commencement : Beginning; end (of college education)
Finish (v.): Perfect (e.g., furniture); destroy (e.g., finish off)
Fix : Repair; (colloq.) destroy (e.g., “I'll fix him”)
Garnish : Add (e.g., parsley to food); take away (from salary)
Historic : Past; present (“This is a historic moment”)
In charge of : ( U.S. ) managing; ( U.K. ) managed by
Knockout : Collapse; (colloq.) triumph
Late : New (e.g., model); defunct (e.g., spouse)
Liberal : ( U.S. ) in favor of government intervention; (elsewhere) against government intervention
Marketing : Selling (business); buying (household)
Maximum : The most, without limit; no more than a limit
Minimum (notably, commission or order): Least possible; no less than
Moot : (1) Under consideration; not under consideration; (2) Undecided; (law) decided
Overlook : Observe; fail to observe
Overwhelmed : Horrified; delighted
Oversight : Supervision; failure to supervise
Ravel : Entangle; disentangle
Renter : Landlord; tenant
Spare : Excess (e.g., time); meager
Spoil (verb): overindulge; become rotten
Stay : Halt; continue (e.g., the course)
Strike (verb): Hit; (labor) stop acting
Table (parliamentary): Bring up for discussion; defer discussing
Temper : Harden (e.g., steel); soften (e.g., justice with mercy)
Trim : Cut down; embellish (e.g., a turkey or Christmas tree)
Unbending : Rigid; easing off from rigidity
Vegetate : Grow; stagnate
Wicked : Deplorable; (colloq.) admirable (e.g., a wicked serve)
Wind up : Prepare to start (pitches and watches); prepare to stop (companies)
You can't be too… (e.g., thin): You should be as thin as possible; don't be excessively thin
Bag (it): Capture it; (slang) discard it
Below par : Inferior; superior (golf score)
Blown away : (We were): Crushed; ( US colloq.) overjoyed
Boned : Containing bones (e.g., corset stays); without bones (e.g., serving fish)
Buckle (v.): Fasten; collapse
Charterer : Provider; user
Cite : Praise; condemn
Cleave : Chop apart; stick together
Commencement : Beginning; end (of college education)
Finish (v.): Perfect (e.g., furniture); destroy (e.g., finish off)
Fix : Repair; (colloq.) destroy (e.g., “I'll fix him”)
Garnish : Add (e.g., parsley to food); take away (from salary)
Historic : Past; present (“This is a historic moment”)
In charge of : ( U.S. ) managing; ( U.K. ) managed by
Knockout : Collapse; (colloq.) triumph
Late : New (e.g., model); defunct (e.g., spouse)
Liberal : ( U.S. ) in favor of government intervention; (elsewhere) against government intervention
Marketing : Selling (business); buying (household)
Maximum : The most, without limit; no more than a limit
Minimum (notably, commission or order): Least possible; no less than
Moot : (1) Under consideration; not under consideration; (2) Undecided; (law) decided
Overlook : Observe; fail to observe
Overwhelmed : Horrified; delighted
Oversight : Supervision; failure to supervise
Ravel : Entangle; disentangle
Renter : Landlord; tenant
Spare : Excess (e.g., time); meager
Spoil (verb): overindulge; become rotten
Stay : Halt; continue (e.g., the course)
Strike (verb): Hit; (labor) stop acting
Table (parliamentary): Bring up for discussion; defer discussing
Temper : Harden (e.g., steel); soften (e.g., justice with mercy)
Trim : Cut down; embellish (e.g., a turkey or Christmas tree)
Unbending : Rigid; easing off from rigidity
Vegetate : Grow; stagnate
Wicked : Deplorable; (colloq.) admirable (e.g., a wicked serve)
Wind up : Prepare to start (pitches and watches); prepare to stop (companies)
You can't be too… (e.g., thin): You should be as thin as possible; don't be excessively thin
4 comments:
This list is wicked.
Those examples are funny.
Very entertaining.
Neat list. It reminds one of some of George Carlin's examples of odd word juxtapositions, such as "jumbo shrimp," and "military intelligence."
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