It's not what it says on the tin
When the opposite is true
RNfinity | 17-01-20231 #Street Food. Why are there 'Street food restaurant'? I thought the whole premise of street food is there aren't any premises.
2# Fast-Track. When everyone takes the fast-track option it’s slower and frustrating.
3# 'Just a moment'. Here we go. Did you remember to pack your toothbrush?
4# It does what it says on the tin. Only if you read the fine print.
5# American Football. The ball rarely touches the foot.
6# ‘Slow cooked’. Instructions: ‘Put in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes.’
7# Not addictive. It’s not addictive, I played it a thousand times, but I am still not addicted to it.
8# Safe Space. This is a safe space- translation - Go on spill the beans; terrifying words indeed. It doesn't matter what the 'facilitator says' If your gut instinct tells you this isn't a safe space. There's a bunch of very inquisitive chatty people in the room are they going to adhere to the safe space/Vegas pact?
What is a Contronym?
A contronym (also called an auto-antonym or Janus word) is a single word that has two opposite or contradictory meanings depending on the context in which it is used.
Examples of Contronyms
| Word | Meaning 1 | Opposite Meaning 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Dust | To remove dust ("I dusted the shelves.") | To add fine particles ("I dusted the cake with sugar.") |
| Seed | To plant seeds ("Farmers seed the field.") | To remove seeds ("Seed the watermelon before serving.") |
| Left | Departed ("He left the room.") | Remaining ("The food left on the table was eaten.") |
| Trim | To decorate ("Trim the tree with ornaments.") | To cut and remove ("Trim the hedge neatly.") |
| Clip | To attach ("Clip the papers together.") | To cut off ("Clip the coupon from the newspaper.") |
| Sanction | To approve ("The board sanctioned the project.") | To penalize or punish ("The country faced sanctions.") |
| Weather | To withstand ("The building weathered the storm.") | To wear away ("The rocks were weathered by the wind.") |
| Screen | To show ("The movie was screened at the festival.") | To hide ("The trees screened the house from view.") |
| Bound | Heading to ("She is bound for New York.") | Restricted or tied ("He was bound by contract.") |
| Oversight | Careful supervision ("The project was under strict oversight.") | An error from neglect ("It was a simple oversight.") |