Monday, August 29, 2016

Sound and Sense, 86


We’re moving next to the homophone: a word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not, as heir and air. So … contronyms are words that have contradictory meanings (sanctiion = approve and disapprove; homophones sound alike but to not mean the same—and often are not spelled the same, either.

1. grocer (noun): a person who sells food and other supplies
2 grosser (adj.) comparative form of gross—very disgusting

The grocer sold disgusting food—
It suited both his thoughts and mood.

“Why sell the food I’d like to eat?
That’s wasting profit”—this he’d Tweet.

They called him “grosser” after that—
And shunned his shop in nothing flat.

And very soon the dude was broke—
Addicted to white powder (coke)

And ended up in custody
With lousy food (but it was free).

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