One-sided social media
Depends on how you look at it… Rubin’s Vase image by yamachem: Creative Commons
Last time I posted on this subject I was a bit apologetic about my methods and even my perspective. None of that today. Brace yourself for a blog post that could have been (and maybe one day will be) several social media posts.
I like the space/negative space structure of “I’m holding you up” vs “I’m supporting you”. It’s like the bi-stable image above. Both versions contain the same idea, but depending on the word choice the emphasis and the significance is entirely reversed.
A few months ago I mentioned that “gate” is a sort of soft contronym: a word that has at least two contradictory meanings. There are plenty of lists online of such words, but here’s a new one that I haven’t seen on any of those lists. Fabricate. It means either to create a falsehood or build something tangible.
I submit that “side peace” should be the term for finding a calm and sustainable life situation in the midst of chaos. But it’s already in use for pretty much the opposite. Were there any justice in the world, “hook yourself up with a side peace” would be a totally innocent phrase meaning something like “find your bliss”. No, not like that.
I further submit that “embed” should be the verb for “putting a dependent family member to bed”.
“Can you embed the child?”
“Can you embed the dog?”Someone who extols the virtues of sleep is a somnangelist. Or should be, at least.
And finally, we all know that you can apologize ahead of time, and “preemptive apology” is a decent enough way to describe what’s happening. But if you’re actually going to make a preemptive apology, there’s no efficient way to say so. Until now. Simply say “prexcuse me” [pronounced “preek-skyooze me”]