Think about filling in a form, though. Filling in a form—“to fill” is unambiguous. In/out isn’t even necessary when you think about it. “I’m going to fill a form” means the same thing too.
There are words and phrases in English that get used sarcastically so often they lose their original meaning. There is a word for this and I swear I've seen a whole list somewhere but my google fu is weak today.
No - semantic satiation is when you read or hear a word so much in a short timeframe that it stops feeling like a real word, and briefly feels like just a jumble of letters/sounds.
I hate semantic satiation. It happens all the time while programming for me. I'll have a variable name with some common word and, after typing it a few times my brain just stops recognizing it as a real word. This sometimes sends me into etymology dives to figure out why the word "jump" (or whatever) looks so strange.
I remember we used to say “like I could care less” sarcastically back in the late 80s. I moved to a non-English speaking country in ‘89 so I have no idea when “I could care less” shifted from sarcasm to incorrect grammar, but I was surprised the first time I encountered people online mention it as a grammatical pet peeve.
39 Comments
Strayce@lemmy.sdf.org · 107 pts · 2y
If you're up for something, or down for something, it means the same thing.
If you fill in a form or fill out a form, it means the same thing.
English is fucked.
Chriszz@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 2y
Think about filling in a form, though. Filling in a form—“to fill” is unambiguous. In/out isn’t even necessary when you think about it. “I’m going to fill a form” means the same thing too.
Strayce@lemmy.sdf.org · 10 pts · 2y
I feel like you're technically correct, but saying "fill a form" just sounds weird to a native English speaker.
s1ndr0m3@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 2y
The alarm went off, so I turned it off.
Aurenkin@sh.itjust.works · 11 pts · 2y
Don't forget you might already be in the right place and don't need to go up or down. Then you can say you're "there for something"
ezures@lemmy.wtf · 11 pts · 2y
Also try this inflammable table with flammable chairs.
lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network · 2 pts · 2y
I hate this one, it confuses Dutch people from time to time, so they think “inflammable” means “fire resistant”.
Extra scary when there's only an English-language warning on this
someguy3@lemmy.ca · 61 pts · 2y
I guess fat chance is said sarcastically.
seitanic@lemmy.sdf.org · 31 pts · 2y
I've never not heard it said sarcastically.
Strayce@lemmy.sdf.org · 11 pts · 2y
There are words and phrases in English that get used sarcastically so often they lose their original meaning. There is a word for this and I swear I've seen a whole list somewhere but my google fu is weak today.
CubbyTustard@reddthat.com · 15 pts · 2y
Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz · 0 pts · 2y
Schizo and psycho are a bit different, because they involve shortening the words.
thisbenzingring@lemmy.sdf.org · 2 pts · 2y
Semantic satiation?
Firefly7@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 6 pts · 2y
No - semantic satiation is when you read or hear a word so much in a short timeframe that it stops feeling like a real word, and briefly feels like just a jumble of letters/sounds.
Cethin@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 2y
I hate semantic satiation. It happens all the time while programming for me. I'll have a variable name with some common word and, after typing it a few times my brain just stops recognizing it as a real word. This sometimes sends me into etymology dives to figure out why the word "jump" (or whatever) looks so strange.
hemmes@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y
Row•ads, that is a freaky word
GarytheSnail@programming.dev · 6 pts · 2y
There's a fat chance you're gonna be eating those words.
PetDinosaurs@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 2y
Now, I expect to be down voted.
I don't care, but I'm going to piss a lot of people off.
I say "I could care less".
That's sarcasm. It's what my nineties, heroin chic, grunge music adolescence gave me.
I could care less. It would just require that I make an effort. That's not caring less. That's caring about something.
It's like how the biggest homophobes always seem to be closeted. They care too much.
Aurenkin@sh.itjust.works · 11 pts · 2y
You think "could care less" is actually legit? Fat chance!
hemmes@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 2y
You think it isn’t? Slim chance!
Nekobambam@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 2y
I remember we used to say “like I could care less” sarcastically back in the late 80s. I moved to a non-English speaking country in ‘89 so I have no idea when “I could care less” shifted from sarcasm to incorrect grammar, but I was surprised the first time I encountered people online mention it as a grammatical pet peeve.
topscientist@lemmynsfw.com · 3 pts · 2y
With you 100%
Markofthedead@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
cmhickman358@thelemmy.club · 2 pts · 2y
I'm never quite sure what it says about me that I find David Mitchell the most relatable person on television.
PipedLinkBot@feddit.rocks · 1 pts · 2y
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thisbenzingring@lemmy.sdf.org · 1 pts · 2y
I only down voted you, so you'd be right 👍
confluence@lemmy.world · 27 pts · 2y
You can make profit on and profit off
andrew@lemmy.stuart.fun · 7 pts · 2y
I could build on your point or build off of it.
Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 2y
But if you’re hardly working, you’re not working hard.
EmoDuck@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 2y
Alarms can go off and be turned off
intensely_human@lemm.ee · 21 pts · 2y
Yup. And one means it via sarcasm.
Synthead@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 2y
Yeah, with this argument, "excellent" and "terrible" means the same thing.
darcy@sh.itjust.works · 15 pts · 2y
one is just said sarcastically
lugal@sopuli.xyz · 12 pts · 2y
Fun fact: awful and awesome used to be synonyms
moistclump@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 2y
Antiautonyms! https://people.sc.fsu.edu/~jburkardt/fun/wordplay/antiauto.html
Or contronyms. I don’t funny understand the delineation between the two.
Cableferret@lemmy.tf · 5 pts · 2y
I've always loved Mace Windu telling someone "your chances come in two sizes: slim and fat" in an old Star Wars Novell called Shatterpoint.
Suspicious@lemmy.wtf · 2 pts · 2y
Fat chance is a sarcastic phrase, so they don't actually have the same literal meaning
TheGreenGolem@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 2y
https://johnsonenglishdhs.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/1/5/121524970/english_is_a_crazy_language_full_text.pdf
PrettyBlackDress@lemdit.com · -28 pts · 2y
Not when you have a slim Jim
swab148@lemm.ee · 3 pts · 2y
I tried eating a Fat Jim but then I got banned from Grindr
PrettyBlackDress@lemdit.com · -30 pts · 2y
🤣