perfect synonyms

[Jonathan Lighter]

Sounds like "gorse" and "furze" are still the winners.

I might add that "gorse" and "furze" also are synonymous in all contexts and
at all levels of discourse.  A classmate of mine once insisted that "speed"
and "velocity" were just as synonymous.  I tried to disabuse him by pointing
out that "velocity" was far more prevalent in more technical contexts; in
addition, I believe it has certain technical connotations and nuances that
"speed" does not.  Naturally, he shrugged off my objections.

A pair like "aardvark" and "earth-pig" might work, but "earth-pig" is rather
factitious (besides being open to the charge of binomialism or compounding,
unlike "aardvark," at lest in English). Neither "gorse" nor "furze" is
factitious.

JL

On Fri, Jul 10, 2009 at 11:28 AM, Jim Parish <jparish at siue.edu> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jim Parish <jparish at SIUE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: perfect synonyms
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > Years ago I revived the claim that the two most nearly synonymous
> > words in English are "gorse" and "furze."  Not only do they designate
> > the same referent; they are both monosyllabic and even bear a minor
> > phonetic resemblance.
> >
> > I can now reveal two comparably synonymous English words. They are so
> > mundane, however, that no one will be impressed.
> >
> > The envelope please:
> >
> > "Flapjack" and "slapjack."
>
> Hmm? In my lexicon, "flapjack" is a pancake and "slapjack" is a card
> game.
>
> Jim Parish
>
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