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The headline is really confusing, I thought “sanctions” meant “apply penalties” and that racket:next was about the Racket language. In fact it seems to be a VR
by dgellow 5y ago
The headline is really confusing, I thought “sanctions” meant “apply penalties” and that racket:next was about the Racket language.
In fact it seems to be a VR game recognized as an official sport?
- jffry 5y agoSanction is such a strange word. It can mean both "giving permission or approval" as well as "giving a penalty for noncompliance with a rule or law" I also misread the headline as the latter instead of the former, likely because of the latter type of sanctions being in the news as of late.
- Steltek 5y agoYou've mooted a very good point. The English language is full of contradictions and condones many deceptive spellings.
- tcskeptic 5y agoAh! Contronyms! Words that can mean a thing... and it's opposite (or nearly so). Dust, cleave, overlook... many others. One of those enjoyable corners of the language.
- jffry 5y agoWeird quirks of language (English and others) usually have interesting histories too.
- mijoharas 5y agoFor anyone else that was confused, apparently there is an alternate usage of the word 'Cleave' that means 'to adhere' (rather than 'to cut' or 'to separate').[0] I hadn't heard of that one. [0] https://www.dailywritingtips.com/75-contronyms-words-with-contradictory-meanings/ https://www.dailywritingtips.com/75-contronyms-words-with-co... [1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleave#:~:text=Definition%20of%20cleave,%2C%20rituals%2C%20and%20food.%20%E2%80%94 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleave#:~:text=De...
- singingboyo 5y agoI almost feel like that specific usage should come with the 'archaic' tag, but it's reasonably common in slightly older novels, I think? Things like "He still cleaves to the imagined ideals of his forefathers". It definitely tends to be used in a more philosophical sense than the very physical "cleave a block of wood in two", though.
- navbaker 5y agoThe Amelia Bedelia series of children's books get tons of mileage from these types of words.
- hunter2_ 5y ago"Biweekly" is a good one (half as often as weekly, but also twice as often as weekly).
- victorbond 5y agoAll totally correct. Thanks for commenting.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- victorbond 5y agoI know... "sanction" is one of those words that means it's opposite too... a "contranym" But it's the word they use in international federations. You are right... the first ever electronic game of any sort to be officially recognized as a sport. Extremely cool. Thanks for commenting.