Have you ever wondered how someone comes up with names of things or words that mean the opposite of what they are really meant to describe? There’s a questionable thought process involved here somewhere. If you think about it, there are quite a few examples of them in the English language. Here are a few to start you off .
There’s gotta be tons more out there – Do any more come to mind off the top of your head?
- Why is it that we park on driveways and drive on parkways?
- Why is it that freight packages sent on trucks are called shipments and freight packages sent on ships are called cargo?
- Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
- Why is the man who invests all of your money called a broker?
- When the stars are out they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.
- Who tastes dog food when it says ‘new & improved’ flavor on the label?
- If lawyers can be disbarred and clergymen can be defrocked, doesn’t it make sense that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked and dry cleaners depressed?
Here are a few more to ponder that I came across recently…..
- Why is it that if someone tells you that there are 1 billion stars in the universe you will believe them, but if they tell you that the bench has wet paint you will have to touch it to be sure?
- If people from Poland are called “Poles,” why aren’t people from Holland called “Holes?”
- The shortest sentence in the English language is reportedly, “I am” . So isn’t it possible that “I Do” might be considered the longest sentence?
- When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?
Filed under: Amusing & Humorous Observations, Express Yourself, just for laughs, Pot Luck & Miscellaneous, Rainy Day Thoughts, Word Challenges Tagged: | opposite meanings, opposite names, questionable thoughts, questions, random thoughts, things that make you wonder, things to ponder, why do we call it that, why they call it that?, words to ponder, words to think about