Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Antilogies

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



4 comments:

  1. 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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