Contranyms: caution this post will mess with your mind

As a copywriter my job is to enlighten and excite your clients rather than teach you language and grammar!  But I came upon the subject of contranyms on a US blog and thought I would mess with your minds like it messed with mine…

So, for your information a contranym is a word with two opposed meanings.  Forget scan reading, you will need to think about these – perhaps over a cuppa?

Bolt: To secure or to flee

Bound: Heading to a destination or restrained from movement
Buckle: To connect together or to break or collapse under strain
Cleave: To adhere or to separate

Clip: To fasten  or to cut
Consult: To offer advice or to obtain it
Custom: A common practice or a special treatment
Dust: To sprinkle over particles or to remove them
Fast: Quick or stuck or made secure
Finished: Completed  or destroyed
Handicap: An advantage provided to ensure equality or a disadvantage that prevents equal achievement
Hold up: To support or to impede
Model: An exemplar or a copy
Out: Visible as with stars showing in the sky, or invisible, in reference to lights
Overlook: To supervise or to neglect

Oversight: Monitoring or failing to oversee
Peer: A person of the nobility or an equal
Quantum: Significantly large (as in leap) or a minuscule part
Quite: Rather (as a qualifying modifier) or completely
Rock: An immobile mass of stone or a shaking or unsettling movement or action
Sanction: To approve or to boycott
Scan: To peruse or to glance
Screen: To present as in film or to conceal as in high hedges!
Seed: To sow seeds or to shed them as in (floral) gone to seed
Skin: To cover or to remove
Splice: To join or to separate
Strike: To hit or to miss in an attempt to hit
Throw out: To dispose of or to present for consideration

Trim: To decorate or to remove excess from
Trip: A journey or a stumble
Variety: A particular type or many types
Wind up: To end or to start up

When you have had a small lie down in a dark corner can you think of any others?  I would love to hear...

P.S. If you liked this post you might also enjoy Playing with Palindromes

PPS: If you are stuck for an inspirational tweet today why not use my tweetables?

Did you know that a contranym was a word with two entirely opposite meanings?! click to tweet

Splice has opposite meanings: to join or to separate. Just a little contranym I came across...click to tweet

Thanks to Thomas Hawk on Flickr for the image

5 common spelling mistakes that let you down

OK, I've had enough of seeing the same spelling mistakes in printed materials, e-mails, posters and  newsletters.  Poor spelling REALLY does reflect badly on your business.

Since I cover the most common grammar and spelling mistakes during one of my workshops I thought I would share my top five

      


The full version of this post can now be read here

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