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Words which have meanings different to the way they sound

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apricot | 13:31 Fri 16th Apr 2004 | Phrases & Sayings
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Oh dear, that sound like gobbledygook, please Spellmaster don't get me?? My favourite word in this category is pulchritudinous - which always sounds quite revolting. Anyone else got examples?
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glutinous. i always relate this to being overweight (for some bizarre reason) whilst it actually refers to being sticky!
the reason is that it sounds like "gluttony" obviously. i am a slow person sometimes.....
"Spendthrift" - I can never remember whether it means spending a lot, or spending a little. If I remember correctly, it means tending to spend a lot - but I always think that it means "thrifty" as in not spending much.
It wasn't until I was about 22 that I discovered that the word t.w.a.t. had a different meaning - I always used to think that it was simply an alternative spelling of the word "twit" but with exactly the same meaning as "twit". I seem to remember that I found out what it meant when I used it in conversation where ladies were present, and one of them got a bit upset(!) :-)
condone; i always think it means condemn. and yes, pulchritudinous sounds disgusting also quaint isn't very quaint i don't think. here's a website http://www.13d.org/esofword/esof.cfm?type=right oh and i hate that American word copacetic, sounds so ugly to me but means 'fine, okay good in order'
My favourite would be "Monosyllabic" - five syllables to mean a word with only one!
inflammable - just annoying. It should mean not flammable but it means really, really flammable. it's irritated me for as long as I can remember!
...oh, and the "hypocratic oath" - the allegience of medical doctors - sounds like a stupid oath masked in hypocrisy (whereas it really means the oath of Hypocrates)

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