you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 7 points 1 year ago (10 children)

People say it's freezing outside, but it's a few degrees above water becoming a solid. What gives?

They say they're starving even though they just haven't eaten all day.

People need to follow the rules when it comes to words or else we descend into chaos. It's literally a highway to hell!

  • source
  • hideshow 10 child comments
  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago (7 children)

    Right, that's "speaking figuratively." There are rules for that.

    But a word that means the opposite of what it means is not a useful word.

    I'd hate to find a box in my lab marked "inflammable."

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 7 child comments
  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Plenty of words mean the opposite of themselves, so much so that there's multiple words for it; autoantonym, contranym, or Janus words.

    This morning my alarm went off so I turned it off.
    I wanted to buy a new console as soon as it was out but they were all out.
    Two people were left so I left.
    I fought with Bob over chores, but I fought with Bob in the war.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments