# A bad case of palimpsest - words that mean the wrong thing. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 22, 2020, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312 "2020-05-22T20:05:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2020, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/61 "2020-05-24T18:57:16Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > And I’m not trying to bring up Trump’s statement, but: > > Testing positive for a disease should meant you don’t have it. “I tested positive for cancer. That’s a very positive thing.” > > Testing negative should be the other one because it is bad. My brother and his wife had a friend (who has since died from something unrelated) who was very happy to find out she had cancer. She was having difficulty walking, and the preliminary diagnosis was ALS, but another test revealed that she had lymphoma in her spinal column, which was successfully treated although it did leave her chronically ill for the rest of her life, which I know is not uncommon. Anyway, that cancer could be treated; ALS still can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Brother\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_brother_1/32/3513_2.png) [@Little\_Brother\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Brother_1)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2020, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/62 "2020-05-25T20:23:49Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > You know what I mean? There are certain words that just have no business meaning what they actually mean. OK, let me explain. > > For some reason I was musing on the word **pulchritudinous**. Now, whoever came up with that word clearly meant for it to be used to convey _“Angry and looking for trouble”_ or _“Spoiling for a fight”_. But then something went horribly wrong at Team English Language headquarters. An intern on their first morning on the job made a disastrous clerical error, which led to it being defined as “Beautiful”. _What??_ Oh, come on – that should have been picked up and corrected by a line manager – but no, it wasn’t. It still means beautiful. > > There are others. **Palimpsest** – as in the title – is the sort of rash in the moist nether regions that you absolutely wouldn’t want to get – except it isn’t. A [palimpsest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palimpsest) is > > Again, it’s a word that clearly means the wrong thing. There must be many more examples out there, and I would like to be introduced to them. I need you to tell me what these words _ought_ to mean, and what they _actually_ mean; and if you wish, an example of how the word should be used, like: > > _That’s Davey over there, watch out for him - if he’s had a couple of drinks he can be a proper pulchritudinous bastard._ > > See what I mean – that just sounds _right_. > > What have you got? > > j > > PS: examples from other languages also welcome! I get your drift, but I think your conviction about what “pulchritudinous” _should_ mean arises from its slight resemblance to “pugnacious”. I always thought that the somewhat obscure word “dimity” was a pleasantly poetic term for _crepuscular_, also mentioned in this thread. But then, I always thought that “crepuscular” referred to a certain type of loose, wrinkled skin or complexion, e.g. the permanently dimpled or mottled texture caused by severe teenage acne or pox that resembles crepe fabric. To bring it full circle, it turns out that “dimity” is actually a type of fabric; I still think it ought to refer to the twilight surrounding dawn and dusk. ---
**Author:** ![ArtBeforeScience](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@ArtBeforeScience](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArtBeforeScience)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2020, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/63 "2020-05-25T20:47:44Z")
Heteroscedasticity - The number of persons of the opposite gender who can simultaneously fit into the same pair of boxer briefs before the elastic snaps. Frenema - OK this one’s not a real word. Like frenemy but a bit worse. Eidetic - Fluffy, as in goosedown pillows Apophallation - The chorus sung at the end of Greek tragedies to a really good lookin’ but sadly dead hero ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2020, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/64 "2020-05-25T20:54:16Z")
subscribe ---
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2020, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/65 "2020-05-25T21:46:58Z")
Are we forgetting the _ **dread Gazebo** _ ? I mean, it is self-evident that a Gazebo **ought** to be some kind of monster that eats you whole without even applying a dab of mustard! (How uncouth!) ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2020, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/66 "2020-05-25T21:50:52Z")
> [@Little\_Brother\_1](#): > > I get your drift, but I think your conviction about what “pulchritudinous” _should_ mean arises from its slight resemblance to “pugnacious”. Nah, “pulchritudinous” has always been on my list of words that don’t mean what they sound like, as to me it resembles “putrification”. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2020, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/67 "2020-05-25T21:52:06Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > subscribe Is a “subscribe” a scribe’s underling? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Famous\_Burrito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_famous_burrito/32/3954_2.png) [@El\_Famous\_Burrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Famous_Burrito)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/68 "2020-05-26T05:04:52Z")
**Sublime,** taken literally, refers to a layer of strata in the earth’s crust. Of course, most folks use it metaphorically to connote something of bad quality or poor standing. You know, as in _lower than dirt._ “Oh, you don’t want to go to _that_ restaurant. Trust me, it’s practically **sublime** , among the worst in town.” Why the dictionary insists upon the opposite meaning, I’ve never figured out. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/69 "2020-05-26T05:13:33Z")
Someone pulchritudinous is likely to also be [callipygian](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/callipygian). I think that refers to a highly ornate style of Egyptian hieroglyphics. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/70 "2020-05-26T12:36:22Z")
[Moderating] I’m sure that when I saw this thread before, there was some reason it made sense as a CS thread to me. But I’m not sure what that reason was. MPSIMS, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/71 "2020-05-26T17:03:00Z")
A [mangosteen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangosteen) is clearly a Jewish mango. The weird spelling comes from the immigration clerk who got the fruit’s name wrong at Ellis Island. “Faucet” is a woman’s name, taken from the French “Faucette”. It’s one of those classic names that’s fallen out of favor, like “Hortense” or “Honoria”. She might have sisters named “Crustacea” or “Urticaria”. Women with these names often have horses, trust funds, and Grandmama’s pearls. “Chlorine” and “Fluorine” are also women’s names. In the same way that “Faucet” or “Urticaria” evoke images of fine wine, the country club, and the family estate, “Chlorine” and “Fluorine” bring to mind cheap beer, monster truck rallies, and trailer parks. I can see their mother standing in the back of their double-wide yelling, “Chlo-REEEEN!! Flo-REEEEN!! Git back here an’ hang this washin’ on the lahn!” (The woman who inspired the Dolly Parton song “Jolene” was actually named “Chlorine.” Chlorine, Chlorine, Chlorine, Chloreeee-eeeen! I’m beggin’ of ya please don’t take my man!) ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/72 "2020-05-26T17:21:13Z")
> [@Scribble](#): > > A [mangosteen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangosteen) is clearly a Jewish mango. The weird spelling comes from the immigration clerk who got the fruit’s name wrong at Ellis Island. > > “Faucet” is a woman’s name, taken from the French “Faucette”. It’s one of those classic names that’s fallen out of favor, like “Hortense” or “Honoria”. She might have sisters named “Crustacea” or “Urticaria”. Women with these names often have horses, trust funds, and Grandmama’s pearls. > > “Chlorine” and “Fluorine” are also women’s names. In the same way that “Faucet” or “Urticaria” evoke images of fine wine, the country club, and the family estate, “Chlorine” and “Fluorine” bring to mind cheap beer, monster truck rallies, and trailer parks. I can see their mother standing in the back of their double-wide yelling, “Chlo-REEEEN!! Flo-REEEEN!! Git back here an’ hang this washin’ on the lahn!” (The woman who inspired the Dolly Parton song “Jolene” was actually named “Chlorine.” Chlorine, Chlorine, Chlorine, Chloreeee-eeeen! I’m beggin’ of ya please don’t take my man!) I realize that my definitions are very USA-centric, but I don’t know how else to describe them. My first definition alludes to a [commonly believed myth](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ellis-island-isnt-blame-your-familys-name-change-180953832/) about immigration during part of the 19th and early 20th centuries. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/73 "2020-05-26T17:34:50Z")
> [@Scribble](#): > > A [mangosteen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangosteen) is clearly a Jewish mango. The weird spelling comes from the immigration clerk who got the fruit’s name wrong at Ellis Island. > > “Faucet” is a woman’s name, taken from the French “Faucette”. It’s one of those classic names that’s fallen out of favor, like “Hortense” or “Honoria”. She might have sisters named “Crustacea” or “Urticaria”. Women with these names often have horses, trust funds, and Grandmama’s pearls. > > “Chlorine” and “Fluorine” are also women’s names. In the same way that “Faucet” or “Urticaria” evoke images of fine wine, the country club, and the family estate, “Chlorine” and “Fluorine” bring to mind cheap beer, monster truck rallies, and trailer parks. I can see their mother standing in the back of their double-wide yelling, “Chlo-REEEEN!! Flo-REEEEN!! Git back here an’ hang this washin’ on the lahn!” (The woman who inspired the Dolly Parton song “Jolene” was actually named “Chlorine.” Chlorine, Chlorine, Chlorine, Chloreeee-eeeen! I’m beggin’ of ya please don’t take my man!) Don’t forget their low-class cousin Trampoline. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/74 "2020-05-26T18:32:36Z")
_picaresque_ should clearly mean something done in the style of Pikemen, or maybe those bullfighting _picadors_. It should not be an adjective describing stories about rogues. ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/75 "2020-05-26T19:06:22Z")
“Languish” should mean something delightful, relaxing, and luxurious. One should not languish in poverty; one should languish in the Maldives or Palau while being served daiquiris and posting insufferable hot dog legs pictures to Instagram. ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/76 "2020-05-26T20:09:17Z")
Dragging in two terms from Astronomy: Quadrature: Should refer to the configuration of landing gear or wheels on a vehicle. Syzygy: Should refer to an art style involving spiky protuberances. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/77 "2020-05-26T21:25:07Z")
> [@Limmin](#): > > Syzygy: Should refer to an art style involving spiky protuberances. I always thought it should be the sound of a pair of scissors opening and closing in the air. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/78 "2020-05-26T21:33:48Z")
A Bildungsroman should be a book about a building. I mean, that’s just obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/79 "2020-05-26T21:35:32Z")
Emphasize: A form of strenuous group fitness activity in which people do a lot of huffing, puffing, and grunting. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2020, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312/80 "2020-05-27T00:16:10Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > A Bildungsroman should be a book about a building. I mean, that’s just obvious. Especially if they’re buildings in ancient Rome… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-case-of-palimpsest-words-that-mean-the-wrong-thing/854312.md?page=5)