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Appendix talk:English contranyms

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Latest comment: 4 years ago by Soap

Premium/Inflammable/Boned/Shelled

Maybe I take things too literally, but I uset to have trouble with Premium meaning a freebie or a bill depending on its use. Also inflammable meaning able to be burned and flammable meaning the same. Then boned implies something with bones, but it alsho means without. Etc. WonderWheeler 03:26, 8 July 2009 (UTC)Reply

Vanilla: Can mean plain/flavorless or having the flavor of vanilla — This comment was unsigned.

Vanilla is a fine flavor, but I would not consider this a contronym because the use of vanilla to mean flavorless is fully conscious and deliberate on the part of the speakers. It's the most basic of all the flavors ... at least with icecream and yogurt, some other flavors that we might think of as equally basic actually start with a vanilla base and then add flavored concentrates and food coloring. That is, there is no "milk" flavored ice cream at the beginning ... it starts out as vanilla. This means that when vanilla is paired with another flavor, the vanilla flavor is so subtle that we dont even notice it .... we focus on the other one. It may help also that vanilla is white, widely perceived as the "blank slate" color. Soap 16:51, 17 June 2020 (UTC)Reply

Is 'confess' a contranym?

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The word 'confess' can mean: 1) admit or acknowledge something reluctantly, typically because one feels slightly ashamed or embarrassed. 2) declare (one's religious faith).