A word with two opposing meanings 1

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

I came across a word yesterday that has two meanings, one of which means the opposite of the other.

Can anyone guess what the word is? It's 6 letters long and begins with the letter "c".

Dan



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[N1GHTEYES]

In a meeting in the UK, to "table a motion", means to propose it for immediate consideration. In the US, it means to shelve it (perhaps indefinitely) for possible later consideration.

Pavement in the UK means sidewalk in the US. In the US, pavement is used to refer to the road surface. So, in the UK, safety advice to a child might be "stay on the pavement". In the US, this might be considered a form of child abuse.

Tony

 

[IPGuru]

Pavement is a big difference.
telling someone from the UK to keep there car on the pavement in the US could result in carnage.

Actually most Brits are bi-lingual and can switch between English & US fairly easily although I was still confused for a few moments when I was asked if I wanted chips with a Mexican Meal I ordered in the Mandalay Bay hotel until realised he meant crisps and not what you would call French Fries.


Computers are like Air conditioners:-
Both stop working when you open Windows

 

[N1GHTEYES]

On the actual topic of the thread, CC suggested there were several terms for such phrases. Another one is contronym.

Tony

 

[SamBones]

Well, if we're digressing into UK vs US differences, one that makes me mad is the word "Mad".

UK Mad = Insane
US Mad = Angry

I live in the US, but I prefer the UK meaning.

 

[CajunCenturion]

In the USA, mad can take on both meanings.

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[JCreamerII]

Aloha - Hello & Goodbye
Gnarly - Bad & Good

Gnarly is surf speak, water not web, for anything that is really tough or really good.

Jim C.

 

[BillyRayPreachersSon]

Well, if we're digressing into UK vs US differences, one that makes me mad is the word "Mad".

UK Mad = Insane
US Mad = Angry

In the UK, "mad" has both meanings, and it would only be the context of a conversation that might give away which one is being used. In isolation, you'd not be able to tell, e.g. "He's quote mad" wouldn't tell you either way.

Dan


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[KenCunningham]

French Fries

Are we back to this usage rather than 'Freedom Fries' now then?

The internet - allowing those who don't know what they're talking about to have their say.

 

[IPGuru]

I havn't clue what you call them these days

I always have chips, (Nice and thick cut from the 'chippy' not those skinny over-priced pieces of c**p sold in Muck-Donalds, KFC & Co)

Computers are like Air conditioners:-
Both stop working when you open Windows

 

[BadBigBen]

I remember that they used to be called "home fries" in Georgia...

no matter what you call them, as long as they are neither limb nor soggy, I'll eat them with relish...


Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[2ffat]

no matter what you call them, as long as they are neither limb nor soggy, I'll eat them with relish...

I prefer ketchup.
My wife likes them with ketchup and mustard.


James P. Cottingham
[sup]I'm number 1,229!
I'm number 1,229![/sup]

 

[flyboytim]

Stem - as a verb
- to stop as in "stem the flow..."
- to originate as in "the situation stems from..."

Stem as a noun can have opposing directions:

A stem (botany) rises from a root.
A stem (genealogy) descends from an ancestor.

When a teacher was explaining double negatives to the class, and pointed out that two positives did not make a negative, this elicited the comment "Yeah, yeah..." from someone at the back of the class.

 

[BadBigBen]

2ffat,

I relish the taste of relish, ketchup and mayonnaise, not necessarily on fries that is...


Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[flapeyre]

To me, "home fries" implies thick-cut strips of potato, usually with the skin left on.

"French fries", or just "fries", means the thin, skinless potato strips (as at McDonald's).

Both kinds fried in vegetable oil (or animal fat of some sort), and salted.



-- Francis
There are laws to protect the freedom of the press's speech, but none that are worth anything to protect the people from the press.
--Mark Twain

 

[IPGuru]

I remembered another two meaning word last night.

Fine, it means the exact opposite when she says it

(I think this is ture on both sides of the pond)

A Maintenance contract is essential, not a Luxury.
Do things on the cheap & it will cost you dear

 

[KenCunningham]

Ah yes, inflexion is in the ear of the beholder in that case.

The internet - allowing those who don't know what they're talking about to have their say.

 

[CajunCenturion]

Yes, it takes a fine distinction to know which is witch.

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[SantaMufasa]

Ah yes, inflexion is in the ear of the beholder in that case.

...Or in the ear of the beerholder.

Yes, it takes a fine distinction to know which is witch.

Being able to make a fine distinction reminds of of an Oracle technical forum several years ago when a fellow posting from the Middle East began his request for help with...

Hey, gays, can you help me with this problem?

The first responder to his post pointed out how, in English (and probably many other languages), the nuance of confusing a single letter, such as an "a" for a "u", can change the entire interpretation of a sentence.

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
“People may forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

 

[ncotton]

A female complete sentence that is full of these.

"No, nothing's wrong. Everything's fine. You go out and have fun.

 

[IPGuru]

Ouch!

A Maintenance contract is essential, not a Luxury.
Do things on the cheap & it will cost you dear