LINGUIST List 6.580

Tue 18 Apr 1995

Disc: Words that are their own opposites

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1. yang wei, Words that are their own opposites
2. , RE: 6.556 Words that are their 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

Message 2: 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