Friday, 16 May 2025

unparalleled misalignments (12. 462)

Evoking a similar feeling to this recent shopping list of anachronisms from xkcd, we enjoyed very much—via Web Curios—this catalogue of non-synonymous phrases whose constituent words are in fact close matches but convey as a whole very different meanings. One can toggle between family friendly and NSFW entries—a nice bit of wordplay, like crossword clues, and basis for a game—many of which were a challenge, a satisfying one at that, to work out, like Travel Expense vs Venture Capital, Lady Luck vs Misfortune, Fever Pitch vs Sick Note or Okay Boomer vs K-Pop.  We think this sort of might be a case of applied collocation, resulting in a paronomasia or a case of double-entendre, but that’s best left to the expert cruciverbalists.

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links to revisit (with synchronoptica) plus more on umari

seven years ago: separation of church and state in Bavaria, more links to enjoy, the depiction of California as an island on old maps plus the medical benefits of psychedelics

eight years ago: proxy wars and Kompromat, antique film and television logos plus White House past precedents

nine years ago: from Calais to Cornwall plus photography at speed

twelve years ago: political polarisation