# What is the opposite of .... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 30, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of/443277 "2008-03-30T15:27:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of/443277/41 "2008-04-02T14:25:58Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] D natural. What is the opposite of sneeze? [/QUOTE] Okay. A real push here: Chewer You know, A-choo —\> Choo-a = Chewer ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of/443277/42 "2008-04-02T19:37:20Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] D natural. What is the opposite of sneeze? [/QUOTE] Frigid? 😃 **Zeldar:** I am reminded of a very amusing Wiki page I read recently concerning the Sorites Paradox, which begins with the premise of a heap of sand, from which you remove single grains one at a time. Heap -1 is still a heap. -2, same thing. -3, yes. But when is it not a heap? It goes on to say, “Another approach is to use a multi-valued logic. Instead of two logical states, heap and not-heap, a three value system can be used, for example heap, unsure and not-heap. However, three valued systems do not truly resolve the paradox as there is still a dividing line between heap and unsure and also between unsure and not-heap. The third truth-value can be understood either as a truth gap or as a truth glut. Fuzzy logic offers a continuous spectrum of logical states represented in the interval of real numbers [0,1] — it is a many-valued logic with infinitely-many truth-values. Fuzzy hedges are used to divide the continuum into regions corresponding to classes like definitely heap, mostly heap, partly heap, slightly heap, and not heap.” Ah yes, my favorite old rock band – Uriah Mostly Heap! Captain Lance Murdoch: Gah! You’re right! Nice work. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of/443277/43 "2008-04-02T20:04:45Z")
[QUOTE=brujaja] Frigid? 😃 **Zeldar:** I am reminded of a very amusing Wiki page I read recently concerning the Sorites Paradox, which begins with the premise of a heap of sand, from which you remove single grains one at a time. Heap -1 is still a heap. -2, same thing. -3, yes. But when is it not a heap? It goes on to say, “Another approach is to use a multi-valued logic. Instead of two logical states, heap and not-heap, a three value system can be used, for example heap, unsure and not-heap. However, three valued systems do not truly resolve the paradox as there is still a dividing line between heap and unsure and also between unsure and not-heap. The third truth-value can be understood either as a truth gap or as a truth glut. Fuzzy logic offers a continuous spectrum of logical states represented in the interval of real numbers [0,1] — it is a many-valued logic with infinitely-many truth-values. Fuzzy hedges are used to divide the continuum into regions corresponding to classes like definitely heap, mostly heap, partly heap, slightly heap, and not heap.” Ah yes, my favorite old rock band – Uriah Mostly Heap! Captain Lance Murdoch: Gah! You’re right! Nice work. [/QUOTE] Good find on the Fuzzy Logic thing, **brujaja** , and something about it reminds me of an “improved digital gas gauge” I was hoping some car company would install where instead of the pesky indicator with “E, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and F” markings, it would either have an E and Not E, or an F and Not F, light. Better still a flashing light that would flash “Bettery Dead” whenever that happened. Apparently the National Weather Service bought into Fuzzy terminology long ago with all the variations of cloudiness. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of/443277/44 "2008-04-02T20:58:26Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] It’s like, “what’s the opposite of A-Flat?” [/QUOTE] A-Flat, of course…with a 180-degree phase shift. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of/443277/45 "2008-04-02T22:30:16Z")
[my high school choir teacher] Q. What key do you get when you drop a piano down a mine shaft? A. A flat miner. [/MHSCT] ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of/443277/46 "2008-04-02T22:35:01Z")
[QUOTE=brujaja] fall short of? A word with no opposite: blue. 😃 [/QUOTE] Happy. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of/443277/47 "2008-04-02T22:54:37Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] … exceed? [/QUOTE] approach ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of/443277/48 "2008-04-02T23:10:20Z")
Okay, gray. Or grey, if you prefer. _In the color sense._ (not “indistinct”.) Grey has no opposite. (…she stated boldly. Little did she suspect.) ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of/443277/49 "2008-04-02T23:51:24Z")
What’s the opposite of cantilevered? [QUOTE=brujaja] **Zeldar:** I am reminded of a very amusing Wiki page I read recently concerning the Sorites Paradox, which begins with the premise of a heap of sand, from which you remove single grains one at a time. [/QUOTE] That’s like George Carlin’s old routine: You have 24 odds and ends on the table, and 23 of them fall off. What’s left? An odd? An end? An odd’n’end? [QUOTE=Zeldar] …until one of them came up with “Fixed is the absence of broke.” [/QUOTE] Awesome. Just awesome. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of/443277/50 "2008-04-03T05:54:22Z")
Oooooh! Cantilevered! Very clever. Wait a minute…at the last moment, I checked Wikipedia in case of whooshing. It says, "A cantilever is a beam supported on only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs. This is in contrast to a simply supported beam such as those found in a post and lintel system. A simply supported beam is supported at both ends with loads applied between the supports." If “contrast” can be construed as “opposite”, there you have it. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of/443277/51 "2008-04-03T06:11:40Z")
[QUOTE=brujaja] “Fuzzy hedges are used to divide the continuum into regions corresponding to classes like definitely heap, mostly heap, partly heap, slightly heap, and not heap.” Ah yes, my favorite old rock band – Uriah Mostly Heap! [/QUOTE] Now you got me trying to remember what position Fuzzy Hedges played, and how long he spent in the majors. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of/443277/52 "2008-04-03T09:14:23Z")
Short stop, of course! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of/443277/53 "2008-04-03T13:57:39Z")
doom (as in inevitable apocalypse) no word for an inevitable utopia, guess we are a pessimistic language [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-opposite-of/443277.md?page=2)