6.580 Words that are their own opposites

[The Linguist List]

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LINGUIST List:  Vol-6-580. Tue 18 Apr 1995. ISSN: 1068-4875. Lines: 60
 
Subject: 6.580 Words that are their own opposites
 
Moderators: Anthony Rodrigues Aristar: Texas A&M U. <aristar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
            Helen Dry: Eastern Michigan U. <hdry at emunix.emich.edu>
 
Assoc. Editor: Ljuba Veselinova <lveselin at emunix.emich.edu>
Asst. Editors: Ron Reck <rreck at emunix.emich.edu>
               Ann Dizdar <dizdar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
               Annemarie Valdez <avaldez at emunix.emich.edu>
 
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1)
Date:         Sat, 15 Apr 95 00:19:19 PDT
From: yang wei (HONGJUN at UVVM.UVIC.CA)
Subject:      Words that are their own opposites
 
2)
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 09:15 +0100 (MET)
From: WERTH at ALF.LET.UVA.NL
Subject: RE: 6.556 Words that are their opposites
 
-------------------------Messages--------------------------------------
1)
Date:         Sat, 15 Apr 95 00:19:19 PDT
From: yang wei (HONGJUN at UVVM.UVIC.CA)
Subject:      Words that are their own opposites
 
 
The discussion on words with opposite meanings reminded me of a cartoon
that I saw years ago:
 
A giant modern ocean ship has a sign on the side that says: "Second to
None". Next to it is a very small, old and shabby, ready-to-sink fishing
boat that has a sign which says: "None". Does the word "None" in this
cartoon mean "Great" or "Poor"?
 
Similarly: "Nobody can answer this very challenging question. I can't
either. I am a mere nobody." If NOBODY can do that, and I am NOBODY,
why can't I answer the question?
 
Yang Wei
Dept of Linguistics
University of Victoria
 
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2)
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 09:15 +0100 (MET)
From: WERTH at ALF.LET.UVA.NL
Subject: RE: 6.556 Words that are their opposites
 
David Powers' posting reminded me of the old ELT chestnut about a "foreigner"
standing by an open train window. Another passenger shouts "Look out!", so he
does, and kapow!
Paul Werth
 
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LINGUIST List: Vol-6-580.