...tug-of-war...


The word contronym refers to words that are their own antonyms, because they have a homonym which is also an antonym. Other names for such words are antagonym, auto-antonym, self-antonym and Janus word.

Some examples of such words are:

bolt –to run away : bolt –to secure
cleave –to separate : cleave –to adhere
dust –to add fine particles : dust –to remove fine particles
fast –quick : fast –unmoving
rent –to buy to the use of : rent –to sell the use of

You will find many more at these sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_self-contradicting_words_in_English

http://www.fun-with-words.com/nym_autoantonyms.html

Word of the Day: Ken (Noun)

Pronunciation: ['ken]
Definition: Would you believe that Barbie's boyfriend's name means (1) vision, foresight, knowledge—or (2) a house where unsavory characters gather (British criminal argot)? Well, today's is a different word though pronounced the same.

Usage: The use of the verb from which today's word derives is limited pretty much to Scotland and, perhaps, northern England today, where it means "to know, understand, recognize." The past tense may be "kenned" or "kent," as in I dinnae ken where tae start "I didn't know where to start."

Suggested Usage: It is most commonly met elsewhere in expressions of extent of knowledge, such as "That lies outside my ken of the subject" or "Barbie's preferences in bubble-gum are certainly within Ken's ken (or Ken's kin's ken)." Don't forget to try the verb, too, when you visit the land of kilts and pipes, "You wouldnae ken him without his toupee."

Etymology: From Old English cennan possibly from Old Norse kenna "to know," akin to German kennen "to recognize" and, of course, English "know." Other relatives include the [gn] in Latin cognoscere "be acquainted with," which underlies our "cognizant," "recognize" and others, and ingnorare "to not know," which led to our "ignore" and "ignorant." On the Greek side of the family, we find gnosis "knowledge," the root of words like "diagnosis," "prognosis," and others. Finally—and closer to home—the English word "couth" originally meant "(well-)known" and "kith" of "kith and kin" fame, set out as cyththu "knowledge, acquaintance." The loss of the nasalization [n] is not uncommon among Indo-European languages.

—Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com

pleonasm (PLEE-uh-naz-uhm), noun:

1. The use of more words than are necessary to express an idea; as, "I saw it with my own eyes."
2. An instance or example of pleonasm as “free gift” or “true fact”.
3. A superfluous word or expression.

—Related forms
pleonastic, adjective
pleonastically, adverb


“Dougan uses many words where few would do, as if pleonasm were a way of wringing every possibility out of the material he has, and stretching sentences a form of spreading the word.”
- Paula Cocozza, "Book review: How Dynamo Kiev beat the Luftwaffe", Independent, March 2, 2001

“Such a phrase from President Nixon's era, much favored by politicians, is 'at this moment in time.' Presumably these five words mean 'now.' That pleonasm probably does little harm except, perhaps, to the reputation of the speaker.”
- Eoin McKiernan, "Last Word: Special Relationships", Irish America, August 31, 1994

Pleonasm is from Greek pleonasmos, from pleon, "greater, more."

"Pleonasm" is the opposite of "oxymoron."

Click on MORE PLEONASMS for a list from

ABM missile
to
youthful teenagers.

There, also, is to be found 27 amusing pleonastic sentences/sayings such as:

"It's deja vu all over again"
and
"Cure suggestibility with hypnosis."

And for the somewhat religious:
"I used to be an agnostic, but now I’m not so sure."





Let's hear some of your pleonastic inventions.

Word of the Day: Niveous (Adj.)

Pronunciation: ['niv-ee-ês]
Definition: Resembling snow, snow-like.

Usage: The noun is nivosity.

Suggested Usage: Although snow is mostly out of season, if you happen to live near cottonwood trees, you can improvise: "With the cottonwood's shedding, it's beginning to look quite niveous outside." And keep it handy for when holidays come back around: "I bought my niece a glass sphere filled with water and a niveous flakes for a Christmas gift" (translation: snow globe).

Etymology: From Latin niveus, from nix (nig-s), niv- "snow" which developed into French neige, Spanish nieve, and Italian neve. The underlying PIE from, believe it or not, is *sneigwh-, with several sounds that have worn off over the years. So the same PIE root gave us English "snow" and Slavic (Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian) sneg "snow."

—Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com

One of the most interesting lectures I ever attended was on the subject of pigmentation. Today's word has to do with that:

Word of the Day: Piebald (Adjective)

Pronunciation: ['pI-bald]
Definition: Since few people bake hairy pies (intentionally) any more, this word obviously does not mean what it seems to mean; it means having patches of different colors, particularly black and white spots. It is used most frequently in reference to animals, as in "piebald magpie"—what does that make you think of? It is also used to refer to any motley mixture of mongrel qualities, as the English language, with words from almost every language on earth, is as piebald a language as ever there was.

Usage: As you see from the definition, few words in English are more misleading than "piebald" ("magpie" being one that does). The qualitative noun is "piebaldness" and the adverb would be "piebaldly," were there a use for it. This adjective may itself be used as a noun to refer to a piebald horse or other animal as well as a verb meaning "acquiring patches of different colors."

Suggested Usage: As a metaphor, today's word is used mainly in the sense of a patchwork, "We have such a piebald array of attitudes on our team, it is difficult to complete tasks on time." But don't forget "piebald" also works as a verb, "First my head balded in my 50's, now my skin is piebalding."

Etymology: From "pie," a derivative of Latin pica "magpie" + "bald" from "balled" in the sense of having been made look like a ball. [If you are about to eat, stop reading here.] "Magpie" itself is the shorter form of "maggot-pie." (You were warned.)

—Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com

Does anyone remember that report that went around many years ago using big words that sounded bad but weren't. I think that it had to do with a couple on a college campus...One of the thinks they were accused of was "premarital interdigitation"..........(handholding) I sure would like to get a copy if anyone remembers it and has it in their file somewhere

rebarbative (ree-BAR-buh-tiv), adjective:

Serving or tending to irritate or repel.

Over the past couple of hours a lot of rebarbative, ulcerated and embittered people had been working hard at bedding their resentments down in sensory-deprivation tanks full of alcohol.

- Will Self, The Sweet Smell of Psychosis



I still think this true, yet can't help regret the unretrievable hours lavished on so much rebarbative critical prose, convinced that the nearly impenetrable must be profound.

- Michael Dirda, "In which our intrepid columnist visits the Modern Language Association convention and reflects on what he found there", Washington Post, January 28, 2001

Rebarbative comes from French rébarbatif, "stern, surly, grim, forbidding," from Middle French rebarber, "to be repellent," from re- (from the Latin) + barbe, "beard" (from Latin barba.)

Is it irritating to be scratched with a stiff two-day old beard?

risible (RIZ-uh-buhl), adjective:

1. Capable of laughing; disposed to laugh.
2. Exciting or provoking laughter; worthy of laughter; laughable; amusing.
3. Relating to, connected with, or used in laughter; as, "risible muscles."


Before long, I began to read aloud with my father, chanting the strange and wondrous rivers -- Shenandoah, Rappahannock, Chickahominy -- and wrapping my tongue around the risible names of rebel generals: Braxton Bragg, Jubal Early, John Sappington Marmaduke, William "Extra Billy" Smith, Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard.
- Tony Horwitz, Confederates in the Attic

All twelve selected are thoughtful, small and funny in both senses of the word: odd and risible.
- Stefan Kanfer, "Of Cats, Myths and Pizza", Time, December 11, 1989

But Lionel . . . is not a risible character, even though he is often called "freakshow" and "crazyman."
- Adam Mazmanian, "Postmodern PI", Washington Post, November 7, 1999


Risible comes from Late Latin risibilis, from the past participle of Latin ridere, "to laugh, to laugh at." The noun form is risibility.

-Dictionary.com

Word of the Day: Busk (Verb)

Pronunciation: ['bêsk]
Definition: To play music or entertain on the street for money.

Usage: Please don't confuse today's word with brux "to clench or grind one's teeth." Walking by someone who busks badly might make you brux, but the two words are very different. Those who busk are buskers, noted for their busking.

Suggested Usage: Today's word can be used pejoratively, "I had no idea Donny busked as a mime during lunch hour, or I would bring him sandwiches in the public interest." But busking is, in fact, a proud tradition in many European cities, and some fine music can be heard on street corners and city centers across the continent: "Harry and Harriet busked their way across Europe and returned home with enough money left over to start their own nightclub."

Etymology: From the English busk "to be an itinerant performer," which came from busk "to seek or cruise, as a pirate ship." Busk probably comes from French busquer "to prowl," and the French comes from either Italian buscare "to prowl" or Spanish buscar "to seek."

—Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com