this post was submitted on 23 Sep 2025

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'Read' and its past tense are spelled the same. How should they be spelled? (lemmy.world)

submitted 6 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by IncogCyberspaceUser@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

183 comments fedilink hide all child comments

What about similar oddities in English?
(This question is inspired by this comic by https://www.exocomics.com/193/ (link found by BunScientist@lemmy.zip)) Edit: it's to its in the title. Damn autocorrect.

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[–] wildncrazyguy138@fedia.io 70 points 6 days ago (5 children)

My wife and I had a good snicker one time when I brought home edamame peas in the shell.

They were shelled, but she wanted them shelled.

Flammable/imflammable is another one that comes to mind.

[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 65 points 6 days ago

As carved into history by Dr. Nick:

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 13 points 5 days ago

English has many contronyms.

Clip: to attach (clip X to Y) or detach (clip coupons)
Dust: to remove dust or to add it (dust the cake with icing sugar)
Fine: excellent (fine wine) or not great but decent (it's fine)
Left: remaining (I have 5 left) or gone (I had some but they left)
Oversight: supervision (he had oversight over the whole process) or lack of supervision (I forgot to do that, it was an oversight)

[–] TheHobbyist@lemmy.zip 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

And the alarm goes off means it actually starts ringing. Weird language indeed!

[–] CrabAndBroom@lemmy.ml 2 points 4 days ago

And this might just be a UK thing but if a person goes off it means they get really angry. And it can mean to leave for somewhere.

So a firework goes off which makes the fire alarm go off which makes the safety officer go off. Then he goes off to get a fireman. But he leaves the milk out, so it goes off.

[–] EdanGrey@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 days ago

Also sanction and sanction, same word but completely opposite meanings.

[–] Octavio@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

Pitted olives got me in a similar fashion.