this post was submitted on 25 Mar 2024
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.

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English is such a peach. (lemmy.ca)
submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/showerthoughts
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It's bullshit that the opposite of "impeachable" is "unimpeachable" instead of "peachable"

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[–] the_stat_man 20 points 7 months ago (4 children)

These are called orphaned negatives and English has loads of them. A great article about them is here: https://stephenliddell.co.uk/2021/03/17/a-gruntled-look-at-orphan-negatives/

As a slight tangent, a similar peculiarity in English (which I don't know of a name for) is where you can use the opposite words for similar actions, e.g. you can chop a tree down and then chop it up.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 7 months ago

Reminds me of folding cardboard boxes. If you are taking a flat piece and make a box of it, are you folding a box or unfolding the cardboard. Or both. And when you do the reverse, you do the same, do you not?

[–] kurtrude 6 points 7 months ago

Not exactly the same, but that also reminds me of autoantonyms or Janus words. The word dust can be used to describe adding dust or removing dust, for example.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Great link! I love the little story in there.

I actually use "shevelled" alongside many other words which to my mind "should logically exist" - for example, at the weekend I dismantled and then remantled a wall in my garden.

[–] the_stat_man 3 points 7 months ago

Good one, and you now have a mantled wall!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago

Contronyms is another great one. English is so tuitive.