I wonder how many slang terms fit into this category, such as the use of
"bad" to mean something that is essentially commendable.  Or the use of
"bomb" to mean something that fails ("That movie bombed") or something
that is good ("She's the bomb.")  I have a feeling such reformations of
'bad words' reflect the sort of shock value and group-bonding that we
often find in slang.

'Bale' might fit this category too: 1. To gather together ("We baled
hay").  2.  To leave ("Halfway through the party, we baled.")

Larry

____________________________
Larry Beason, Associate Professor
Director of Composition
University of South Alabama
Mobile, AL 36688-0002
Office: 251-460-7861
FAX: 251-461-1517


>>> Dick Veit <[log in to unmask]> 12/8/2009 1:01 PM >>>
On a less weighty note, my colleague Todd Berliner has been collecting
words
with seemingly contradictory definitions. I've copied his list below.
Can
anyone supply further examples?

*Words That Are Their Own Opposites*

*oversight*
   1. Watchful care or management; supervision.
   2. a failure to notice something. An unintentional omission or
mistake.  an error
"Because there was no oversight there was an oversight."

*presently*
1. In a short time; soon
2. At this time or period; now
"He will do it presently, because he can't do it presently."

*cull*
1. To gather; collect
2. To remove rejected members or parts from
"We culled the chickens so that they would not be culled"

*traffic*
1. passage
2. stoppage
"Because there was so much traffic there was no traffic"

*fearsome*
1. Causing or capable of causing fear
2. Fearful; timid.
"Because we weren't fearsome enough, we were fearsome"

*temper*
1. a tendency to become angry or out of control
2. Calmness of mind or emotions; composure
"He had a temper because he often lost his temper"

*let*
1. to not prevent or hinder
2. to hinder (as in tennis “a let”)
"Let him go to the movies; don't let him from going"

*bolt*
1. affix, attach, connect
2. to flee
"They bolted because they weren't bolted."

*terrific*
1. Very bad or unpleasant; frightful: a terrific headache
2. Very good or fine; splendid: a terrific tennis player
"It was a terrific experience because there was nothing terrific about
it."

*cleave*
   1. to join together
   2. to break apart
"We cleaved them so tightly that no one could cleave them."

 I can think of an addition to Todd's list:

*awful*: 1. Awe-inspiring. 2. Disdain-provoking. "The mystic thought
it
would be god-awful not to experience God's awful presence in the
hereafter."


and maybe also:

*unlockable: *1. Not lockable. 2. Able to be unlocked. "Before we
locked the
door, it seemed unlockable; then it seemed unlockable.

Any others?

Dick Veit

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