Comments on: Contronymns http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/ Economics of organizations, strategy, entrepreneurship, innovation, and more Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:13:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Word of the Day: Autoantonym or Contronym | Les Jones http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-71375 Tue, 09 Sep 2008 22:34:21 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-71375 [...] at Organizations and Markets. Some of the examples aren’t 100% perfect (custom, for instance), but it’s an [...]

]]> By: K G Johnson http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-26959 Sun, 03 Jun 2007 19:52:09 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-26959 Finished: to be completed, to be destroyed

]]> By: K G Johnson http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-26956 Sun, 03 Jun 2007 19:48:12 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-26956 to go: to be operational, to be defunct

]]> By: K G Johnson http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-26955 Sun, 03 Jun 2007 19:47:13 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-26955 throw out: to dispose of, to present (e.g., “to throw out a few ideas for discussion.)

overlook: to watch over, to fail to see

]]> By: Aaron http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-21778 Tue, 08 May 2007 20:17:41 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-21778 Contronyms (a.k.a. auto-antonyms, Janus words) were featured on NPR a few years ago: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4988053

As for orthonyms, “peanut” is a classic example from SNL.

]]> By: Chihmao Hsieh http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-21293 Fri, 04 May 2007 19:03:39 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-21293 It appears from the above that there are very few ‘true’ contronyms, but just now I found one: comprise. According to dictionary.com, without any adjustments it is a verb that can mean either:

(1) to consist of; be composed of: ‘The advisory board comprises six members.’

(2) to form or constitute: ‘Seminars and lectures comprised the day’s activities.’

]]> By: Boris http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-20944 Tue, 01 May 2007 11:51:22 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-20944 How about “orthonyms”, which are compound words or phrases that reflect none of their constituent parts? Examples: English horn (neither English nor horn), Sweet bread (neither sweet nor bread). Can anyone think of more?

]]> By: Pat http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-20220 Sat, 28 Apr 2007 16:04:10 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-20220 continue – to keep doing something; continue – to stop doing something until later, as in a trial

]]> By: Chris http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-20194 Sat, 28 Apr 2007 11:34:49 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-20194 Maybe your landlady is renting out the house.

]]> By: Ross Parker http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-20150 Sat, 28 Apr 2007 08:17:18 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2007/04/23/contronymns/#comment-20150 “rent — buy use of, sell use of”

I rent the house from my landlady, who lets it to me.

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