#WordCatcherWednesday: Umami

 What gastronomic words are you slinging today?

Janus Words for January!

Words are power.  Words can bring us great joy or great pain.  Words can also determine our future.  When I wanted to raise my SAT score, my father gave me some sage advice - Learn more words!  He was right.    

From that moment, I’m been a hopeless word nerd.  I keep files of captivating words and will text myself screenshots when reading for further study reflection.  I’ve been known to look up words in the middle of the night, which means I must dream about them.  Yes – Word NERD!  I love anagrams, puns, and word etymology.  And French words and phrases...don’t get me started!  Nothing is more fun to drop in casual conversation, "Must be a je ne sais quoi thing."

So for January, I thought it would be appropriate to write about Janus words, one of the coolest, smallest class of English words.  A Janus word is a contronym or a word with two opposite meanings.  Appropriately named after the Roman god Janus, who is depicted with two opposite faces, Janus words are spelled the same but function as auto-antonyms.

Ten Examples of Janus Words:

• Bolt – to secure OR to run away
• Clip – to separate OR to join
• Fast – firmly fixed OR moving rapidly
• Left – to leave OR to remain
• Oversight – inadvertent mistake OR watchful care
• Rock – to be firm OR to sway or tilt
• Sanction – to allow OR to prohibit
• Screen – to display, such as a film OR to conceal
• Trip – To dance or skip OR to stumble 
• Weather – to endure OR to erode

So get two-faced and create some juicy sentences with Janus words.  Or add to the above list.  

In the interim, reflect on this sentence: 

“Because of the teacher’s oversight, the students’ behavior was sanctioned.”  

This could be interpreted two different ways as a result of the contronymic Janus words oversight and sanctioned.  Either way someone ran a tight ship or got off scot-free.  How I loved that latter kind of teacher...     

Ahhh…word play!