Words for writing geeks

[Comshaw]

A great article on words that are their own opposites. It got me thinking how I can word-play some of them in a story. Like this one that is familiar but I never gave it much thought until now:

Left can mean either remaining or departed. If the gentlemen have withdrawn to the drawing room for after-dinner cigars, who’s left? (The gentlemen have left and the ladies are left.)

25 Words That Are Their Own Opposites


Comshaw

 

[StillStunned]

Surely the gentlemen stay at the table with port and cigars? It's the ladies who withdraw to the drawing room, where tea is served once the gentlemen join them.

 

[nice90sguy]

I like #23.

 

[onehitwanda]

Surely the gentlemen stay at the table with port and cigars? It's the ladies who withdraw to the drawing room, where tea is served once the gentlemen join them.

the withdrawing room

 

[StillStunned]

the withdrawing room

That one always confused me as a kid. "But nobody's drawing, they're just drinking tea!" My mum was kind enough to explain.

 

[lovecraft68]

Surely the gentlemen stay at the table with port and cigars? It's the ladies who withdraw to the drawing room, where tea is served once the gentlemen join them.

My wife told me when they had company over when she was a kid, the guys would go into the parlor and play pinnacle while the women cleaned up and sat around drinking coffee.

She grew up with a wild crowd.

 

[StillStunned]

My wife told me when they had company over when she was a kid, the guys would go into the parlor and play pinnacle while the women cleaned up and sat around drinking coffee.

She grew up with a wild crowd.

About 90% of my knowledge of polite society comes from Georgette Heyer's Regency novels.

 

[lovecraft68]

About 90% of my knowledge of polite society comes from Georgette Heyer's Regency novels.

I remember being around 8 and staying at a friend's house for dinner. It was him, his older sister, parents and an uncle.

I was sitting there completely confused. No one was yelling, swearing, arguing. No one got slapped, and there was plenty of food for everyone. They were all so nice to each other, and to me, that I kept looking around thinking what's wrong with these people?

 

[pink_silk_glove]

A lot means much.

A few means a little.

However, something rather peculiar happens when we put the word quite in front of either of them.

Quite a lot.

Quite a few.

Now they both mean much. Who knew?

 

[SimonDoom]

I've learned something. That's an interesting list. I've never heard the term "contronym" before.

 

[GrushaVashnadze]

Left can mean either remaining or departed.

As the great Dr Seuss wrote:

The left sock thievers have been sneaking into town.
So don't you ever let them catch you with your left sock down.
They reach around dark corners, when you stroll about at night.
Then, woosh!
There goes your left sock.
And you're left there with your right!

 

[Zootonius]

Not quite the same thing, but a playboy cartoon from decades ago summed it up,

As a couple is walking down a hotel hallway, from behind a door they hear,

"Jane! Blow is a figure of speech!"

 

[Euphony]

• Orphaned negatives
• Contronyms
• Antigrams

Word geekage is just the best.