OY: A break in the action. Contronyms. . .

[Kibitzer]

. . . are words that have two opposite meanings. Here are a few:

with. a) alongside; b) against. America fought with England against Germany. Germany fought with France.
trim. a) add things; b) cut away. Let's trim the Christmas tree. Let's trim the hedge.
sanction. a) give approval to; b) censure. The NCAA will sanction the event. The US will add a new sanction on Iran.
oversight. a) careful supervision; b) neglect. Copy editors provide oversight to journalists. The mechanic's oversight caused the car to overheat.

Got the idea?

Now your turn. I challenge Boneyarders to respond by posting two contronyms, following the format I used, above. Better yet, police yourselves by commenting on submissions of others. And have fun, please.

GO!​

 

[j66kicker]

Table a) to propose, b) to set aside

Wear a) to withstand, b) to deteriorate

 

[calpedaler]

Screen a) show, b) hide

Weather a) withstand, b) wear away

 

[johnnyc]

Apology a) contrition b) defense

Fast a) quick b) make secure

 

[Kibitzer]

A couple more:

take. a) steal; b) earn. Did he take all the money? What was the take for last night?
handicap. a) advantage; b) disadvantage. What's your golf handicap? His limited mobility is a handicap.​

 

[tomcat]

Citation, not unlike sanction:
She received a citation for bravery.
I just got a traffic citation in the mail.

 

[meyers7]

Policing here. Some of you are not using them in sentences. As per the instructions. You know who you are.

Off: a) deactivate b) activate When the theft broke into the car, the alarm went off. When the battery went dead, the car alarm went off.

Fine: a) excellent b) acceptable She has a fine looking @ss. How do this pants make my @ss look? Fine.

Left: a) remained b) departed. After Zuul rained down destruction, there was no one left. After Zuul rained down destruction, everyone left.

Put Out: a) extinguish b) generate. The fireman put out the fire. The fireman's wife, just put out.

Bolt: a) secure b)leave, flee. They tried to bolt Usain's feet to the floor. But Usain was able to bolt before they could.

 

[UcMiami]

Handicap - A golf (or racing, etc.) handicap is not really a contronym - it is a quantification of dis-ability to perform, and in some competitions is used to subtract strokes or add a penalty to the less dis-abled competitors. (By the way, the last major employment law in this country identified it as a derogatory term based on its origin - cap-in-hand, or begging being its origin, meaning the way for physically disabled people to survive.)

Citation - not sure it really qualifies - as both are written mentions of a person in their basic meaning - if the citation is connected with a good deed you get rewarded, and a bad deed you get penalized.

Take - some would say the 'Take' from some events is a form of stealing based on the performance or goods received!

 

[meyers7]

Citation - not sure it really qualifies - as both are written mentions of a person in their basic meaning - if the citation is connected with a good deed you get rewarded, and a bad deed you get penalized.

Or you can be a horse.

 

[UcMiami]

Being unable to come up with my own, I will continue to splash some cold water on others!

Fine - not really a contronym as the meanings are not opposite, and really depend on interpretation/inflection of the speaker to lessen the meaning from excellence to OK. Another of these would be 'Great' from elation to disappointment - Great, you have done exactly what I wanted. Great, now I'll have to redo it myself. - opposite meanings based on sarcasm and not on actual meaning.

 

[BroadwayVa]

. . . are words that have two opposite meanings. Here are a few:

with. a) alongside; b) against. America fought with England against Germany. Germany fought with France.
trim. a) add things; b) cut away. Let's trim the Christmas tree. Let's trim the hedge.
sanction. a) give approval to; b) censure. The NCAA will sanction the event. The US will add a new sanction on Iran.
oversight. a) careful supervision; b) neglect. Copy editors provide oversight to journalists. The mechanic's oversight caused the car to overheat.

Got the idea?

Now your turn. I challenge Boneyarders to respond by posting two contronyms, following the format I used, above. Better yet, police yourselves by commenting on submissions of others. And have fun, please.

GO!​

The NCAA will sanction NC. The question is SHALL the NCAA sanction NC. Use of Will and Shall.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Or you can be a horse.

Seems you rode that explanation before!!

 

[DobbsRover2]

. . . are words that have two opposite meanings. Here are a few:

with. a) alongside; b) against. America fought with England against Germany. Germany fought with France.
trim. a) add things; b) cut away. Let's trim the Christmas tree. Let's trim the hedge.
sanction. a) give approval to; b) censure. The NCAA will sanction the event. The US will add a new sanction on Iran.
oversight. a) careful supervision; b) neglect. Copy editors provide oversight to journalists. The mechanic's oversight caused the car to overheat.

Got the idea?

Now your turn. I challenge Boneyarders to respond by posting two contronyms, following the format I used, above. Better yet, police yourselves by commenting on submissions of others. And have fun, please.

GO!​

Glad to know all those fights I had with my sister years ago meant we were on the same side, even if my parents didn't see it that way. Now maybe we can make up after all these years.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Being unable to come up with my own, I will continue to splash some cold water on others!

Fine - not really a contronym as the meanings are not opposite, and really depend on interpretation/inflection of the speaker to lessen the meaning from excellence to OK. Another of these would be 'Great' from elation to disappointment - Great, you have done exactly what I wanted. Great, now I'll have to redo it myself. - opposite meanings based on sarcasm and not on actual meaning.

If we are going verbal, you'd be blasted with Yuse kuys won da NCAA toose long. However, effective speaking requires "inflecti on". It's the ups and down's of speech that keeps us from sleeping while a spouse talks.
Sarcasm is for use only in Political campaigns as Rhetoric (which means total lies).

 

[BroadwayVa]

Policing here. Some of you are not using them in sentences. As per the instructions. You know who you are.

Off: a) deactivate b) activate When the theft broke into the car, the alarm went off. When the battery went dead, the car alarm went off.

Fine: a) excellent b) acceptable She has a fine looking @ss. How do this pants make my @ss look? Fine.

Left: a) remained b) departed. After Zuul rained down destruction, there was no one left. After Zuul rained down destruction, everyone left.

Put Out: a) extinguish b) generate. The fireman put out the fire. The fireman's wife, just put out.

Bolt: a) secure b)leave, flee. They tried to bolt Usain's feet to the floor. But Usain was able to bolt before they could.

Left --We are gathered here today to honor the dearly lefted!! (departed)
Put Out--No I can't use that one!!!! I'd be extinguished.
Bolt---That's a fine bolt of linen!! (none of the 3, unless there are fleas in it)

 

[BroadwayVa]

Citation, not unlike sanction:
She received a citation for bravery.
I just got a traffic citation in the mail.

Isn't the Citation in either case an acknowledgement of some act/event?

 

[BroadwayVa]

A couple more:

take. a) steal; b) earn. Did he take all the money? What was the take for last night?
handicap. a) advantage; b) disadvantage. What's your golf handicap? His limited mobility is a handicap.​

Handicap may come out as an advantage--didn't this begin to compensate for those less capable in the game?? I.e. those disadvantaged. Question not a statement..

 

[huskyd]

. . . are words that have two opposite meanings. Here are a few:

with. a) alongside; b) against. America fought with England against Germany. Germany fought with France.
trim. a) add things; b) cut away. Let's trim the Christmas tree. Let's trim the hedge.
sanction. a) give approval to; b) censure. The NCAA will sanction the event. The US will add a new sanction on Iran.
oversight. a) careful supervision; b) neglect. Copy editors provide oversight to journalists. The mechanic's oversight caused the car to overheat.

Got the idea?

Now your turn. I challenge Boneyarders to respond by posting two contronyms, following the format I used, above. Better yet, police yourselves by commenting on submissions of others. And have fun, please.

GO!​

left: stayed; went away: He is the only one left. He left.
shop: buy; sell: She left to shop. She tired to shop what was left of her jewelry.

. . . and a basketball app: fast: sped up; slowed down: Gabby was fast enough to supercharge the UConn attack. Mo impeded the OSU guards by holding fast to them.

 

[Kibitzer]

Another that may be applicable to basketball:

edge. a) confidence; b) anxiety. Kansas State may be on edge after watching film of UConn vs. OSU. Boneyarders believe that the play of Stewie and Moriah gives UConn a big edge over most AAC opponents. ​

 

[UcMiami]

Fast - not really a contronym as the meanings are not opposite - they are just two different meanings:
1. quick
2. tight

[Kib - sometime a post with words with the most different meanings would be fun: one of my favorites 'port' with 5 distinctly different meanings and lots of variations on each.
1. Left side (or turn left)
2. Carry (or translate as in porting software to a different system)
3. Window opening (or gate, or opening)
4. harbor (or anchorage, or city, or transfer point or arrival point)
5. fortified wine]

 

[UcMiami]

Another that may be applicable to basketball:

edge. a) confidence; b) anxiety. Kansas State may be on edge after watching film of UConn vs. OSU. Boneyarders believe that the play of Stewie and Moriah gives UConn a big edge over most AAC opponents. ​

Again, not truly an contronym just two different meaning:
1. anxiety (caused by being on the 'side' or 'boundary' of a cliff or other menace.
2. advantage

 

[DobbsRover2]

untouchable. a) can't be touched, real good, b) shouldn't be touched, real bad
bear with. a) tolerate, If you bear with me, we'll be okay. b) ursine creature connected to something and not tolerant, A mother bear with cubs is charging at us, and we will not be okay.
got pinned. a) pleased to accept a fraternity pin. I got pinned by Johnny before we went to the ball, and I am very happy. b) not pleased to be pressed down. I got pinned by that weakling Johnny in yesterday's wrestling match, and I am not at all happy.
in the red. a) in a bad place, operating at a loss. The majority of college football teams are operating in the red, and they are not happy about that. b) in a good place, or more specifically, zone. College football teams are very happy when they are in the red zone.
pack it in. a) bunch together, in a good way. The Fightotheend runners packed it in at the finish to capture the top five places, and their coach was very happy. b) give up, in a bad way. The Lazybuttnoguts runners packed it in at the finish, and their coach was not at all happy.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Again, not truly an contronym just two different meaning:
1. anxiety (caused by being on the 'side' or 'boundary' of a cliff or other menace.
2. advantage

My anxiety is never an advantage, it typically clouds clear thinking.

 

[BroadwayVa]

untouchable. a) can't be touched, real good, b) shouldn't be touched, real bad
bear with. a) tolerate, If you bear with me, we'll be okay. b) ursine creature connected to something and not tolerant, A mother bear with cubs is charging at us, and we will not be okay.
got pinned. a) pleased to accept a fraternity pin. I got pinned by Johnny before we went to the ball, and I am very happy. b) not pleased to be pressed down. I got pinned by that weakling Johnny in yesterday's wrestling match, and I am not at all happy.
in the red. a) in a bad place, operating at a loss. The majority of college football teams are operating in the red, and they are not happy about that. b) in a good place, or more specifically, zone. College football teams are very happy when they are in the red zone.
pack it in. a) bunch together, in a good way. The Fightotheend runners packed it in at the finish to capture the top five places, and their coach was very happy. b) give up, in a bad way. The Lazybuttnoguts runners packed it in at the finish, and their coach was not at all happy.

Bear with is not as much fun as bare with.....

 

[BroadwayVa]

. . . are words that have two opposite meanings. Here are a few:

with. a) alongside; b) against. America fought with England against Germany. Germany fought with France.
trim. a) add things; b) cut away. Let's trim the Christmas tree. Let's trim the hedge.
sanction. a) give approval to; b) censure. The NCAA will sanction the event. The US will add a new sanction on Iran.
oversight. a) careful supervision; b) neglect. Copy editors provide oversight to journalists. The mechanic's oversight caused the car to overheat.

Got the idea?

Now your turn. I challenge Boneyarders to respond by posting two contronyms, following the format I used, above. Better yet, police yourselves by commenting on submissions of others. And have fun, please.

GO!​

You should have called this FUN WITH WORDS, as it has become!!!