en-us http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx Comments from Careful, writers! 10 common words with opposite meanings | Articles http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219999758This is a fun post. Thank you. I'll mind my daily use of the word "cleave." :^) Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:20:08 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219999758 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219934088Great post...and comments. I guess only "wordies" like us love, and laugh at, these. Thanks for a fun and thought-provoking read. Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:46:44 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219934088 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219865136Laura, don't forget "fuse" - meaning to "join together" or "melt together" and conversely to "break open" or "melt apart" the conductor in an electrical circuit. Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:47:44 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219865136 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219764449Laura, great post. As always I enjoyed reading it! Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:56:42 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219764449 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219681670affair - public and proper vs illicit. Government affairs are disrupted if the press learns the governor has been having affairs. Thu, 10 Nov 2011 05:06:49 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219681670 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219666650Thanks for the comments everyone . . . English is indeed fun. Thu, 10 Nov 2011 04:19:14 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219666650 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219592055Thoroughly enjoyed this post. Well written and well done Laura! Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:47:47 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219592055 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219553095 Great post :) Wed, 9 Nov 2011 23:12:04 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219553095 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219521251HA HA! Thanks for a great post! Wed, 9 Nov 2011 21:59:59 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219521251 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219506194Isn't the English language wonderful? And somehow, I bet we all know exactly what the speaker means when hearing this in normal speech. Wed, 9 Nov 2011 21:22:34 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219506194 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219472769There is a legal definition of garnish, too, having to do with summoning or serving someone notice, which may be where the garnishee (also a legal term but specific to money) confusion began ... Wed, 9 Nov 2011 20:15:54 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219472769 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219461082. . . And here's an anti-contranym: flammable and inflammable - look like antonyms but both means the same thing, as in "unfortunately my pyjama top is flammable, but luckily my pyjama bottoms are . . . errr . . inflammable. . . . Oh wait!" Wed, 9 Nov 2011 19:53:37 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219461082 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219414726How about "hitch"? You can say "the couple got hitched"--meaning they married. Conversely, you can say "the wedding ceremony went off without a hitch" meaning...what, exactly? Did they or didn't they get married? Great column as always, Laura! Wed, 9 Nov 2011 18:25:34 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219414726 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219414107To add a little more garnish to this salad of verbiage, the use of "garnish" to describe withholding wages, etc., is incorrect. The correct term is "garnishee" (see AP Stylebook). "If you continue to cost us money by putting too many garnishes on our dishes, we will have to garnishee your wages to make up the difference." Wed, 9 Nov 2011 18:24:31 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219414107 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219404053biweekly - occurring every two weeks OR occurring twice a week. bimonthly - occuring every two months OR occurring twice a month. Confusing! Wed, 9 Nov 2011 18:07:09 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219404053 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219403038Presently: First definition, soon. Second definition, now. Wed, 9 Nov 2011 18:05:19 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219403038 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219394415"Apart" verus "a part" is another oldie but goodie of opposite meanings. Apart means separate from and "a part" means literally a part of something. Wed, 9 Nov 2011 17:49:07 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219394415 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219391515Ah we are but a hop and a step away from our favourite English English vs American English usages. We say to table an agenda item and that means bring it to the meeting for discussion. Whereas I was informed by a Texan that it's the contrary meaning in the U.S. (for your version of "table" we use "shelve") But I digress Wed, 9 Nov 2011 17:41:46 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219391515 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219379823Ravel can also mean unravel. Dust can mean the stuff or removal of it. Wed, 9 Nov 2011 17:14:17 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment219379823 http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment218973889Thanks! Wed, 9 Nov 2011 00:28:07 +0000http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10005.aspx#IDComment218973889