# Common contradictions.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [January 1, 2005, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587 "2005-01-01T22:03:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [January 1, 2005, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/1 "2005-01-01T22:03:45Z")
“Anywhere here will do”, often said to taxi drivers.
(well which is it? Anywhere? or Here?)
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### Author:  [@Headspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headspace)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2005, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/2 "2005-01-02T12:49:00Z")
Or the ubiquitous “that’s just about right”
Is it right or not
PS - the first reply to a Lobsang thread — what an honour. 😃
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### Author:  [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)
#### Post date: [January 2, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/3 "2005-01-02T17:53:58Z")
“The building is a little big and pretty ugly.”
Runner-up: “Kansas City, Missouri.”
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### Author:  [@RAWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RAWDuke)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2005, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/4 "2005-01-03T13:31:15Z")
“Near-miss”
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### Author:  [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2005, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/5 "2005-01-03T13:34:11Z")
There’s a term for these, which slips my mind right now.
Related are **autantonyms** , which are words that depending on context can mean precise opposites to themselves, such as “cleave” and “sanction.” (“Cling to” and “chop in half,” and “approve” or “disapprove” respectively.) Some of these can get very interesting.
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### Author:  [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2005, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/6 "2005-01-03T13:37:02Z")
unthawed
Not exactly a contradiction, but kinda irritating: “Would you like that for here to stay?” [ca. 1982, Toronto McDonalds]
Vlad/Igor
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### Author:  [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2005, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/7 "2005-01-03T13:38:37Z")
> [@Polycarp](#):
>
> There’s a term for these, which slips my mind right now.
**Polycarp** , how typically couth of you to say that.
😃
Vlad/Igor
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### Author:  [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/8 "2005-01-03T22:02:24Z")
Back were I grew up, if you weren’t about to do something, you’d stick away from it. As in, cucumbers don’t agree with me, so I’m going to stick away from them.
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### Author:  [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2005, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/9 "2005-01-04T01:06:32Z")
isn’t
aren’t
can’t
don’t
Oh wait! I thought you said _contractions_.
😛
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### Author:  [@StephenG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StephenG)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2005, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/10 "2005-01-04T02:37:21Z")
> [@Polycarp](#):
>
> There’s a term for these, which slips my mind right now.
Oxymorons? Or did you mean a more technical term?
> [@RAWDuke](#):
>
> “Near-miss”
My understanding is that a near-miss is actually a near-hit. That is, a near miss involves feet, or inches, whereas a miss involves miles. It’s not “nearly-a-miss”, it’s “a-miss-that-was-near[to-us]!”
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### Author:  [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2005, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/11 "2005-01-04T02:52:51Z")
> [@StephenG](#):
>
> Oxymorons?
Ouch.
I believe the CROMO\* is now near to admitting defeat.
\*Committee to Retain the Original Meaning of “Oxymoron”.
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### Author:  [@MidnightRadio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MidnightRadio)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2005, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/12 "2005-01-04T10:30:44Z")
> [@Xema](#):
>
> Ouch.
>
> I believe the CROMO\* is now near to admitting defeat.
>
> \*Committee to Retain the Original Meaning of “Oxymoron”.
What was the original meaning?
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### Author:  [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2005, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/13 "2005-01-04T11:50:17Z")
Right now a contradiction is…Yes this is summer.
I’m sorry we are having the worst summer since 1969 and it is bothering me.
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### Author:  [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/14 "2005-01-04T23:30:38Z")
Almost exactly.
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### Author:  [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/15 "2005-01-05T01:23:50Z")
> [@MidnightRadio](#):
>
> What was the original meaning?
Something along the lines of “a deliberate apposition of contrasting words.” The classic example is “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”
It was an elegant and subtle word, rarely heard until about a dozen years ago. It’s now distressingly popular in its new meaning of “contradiction in terms (generally unintentional)”. I mourn this passing.
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### Author:  [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2005, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/16 "2005-01-05T01:26:10Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#):
>
> we are having the worst summer since 1969 and it is bothering me.
Say it ain’t so! (And what, exactly, is wrong?)
I’m headed to NZ (South Island) in a few weeks.
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### Author:  [@StephenG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StephenG)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2005, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/17 "2005-01-05T02:55:12Z")
> [@Xema](#):
>
> Something along the lines of “a deliberate apposition of contrasting words.” The classic example is “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”
>
> It was an elegant and subtle word, rarely heard until about a dozen years ago. It’s now distressingly popular in its new meaning of “contradiction in terms (generally unintentional)”. I mourn this passing.
Oh no! **Xema** , as somewhat of a language purist, I’m sorry to hear that I’m contributing to the decline. In my defense, I’ll simply state that I’ve always (i.e., ever since the late 80s) heard “oxymoron” defined as “a contradiction in terms”.
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### Author:  [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2005, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-contradictions/282587/18 "2005-01-05T03:19:06Z")
> [@StephenG](#):
>
> In my defense, I’ll simply state that I’ve always (i.e., ever since the late 80s) heard “oxymoron” defined as “a contradiction in terms”.
I understand. These days, you hardly every hear it defined otherwise.