Homonyms are confusing enough, but there is another category of confusing words: contronyms. With contronyms, each word is its own antonym. When you offer someone an apology, are you saying sorry or are you defending what you have done? When you bolt down a chair, it stays put. But you can bolt from a fight?…
The “giraffe women” have always fascinated me. Why would any woman allow heavy brass rings to be placed around her neck? Why would any woman submit her young daughter to such a thing? A lot of it depends on the culture you were raised in, and what you were taught to believe. The Padaung women of Myanmar still adorn themselves with neck rings and are a huge tourist attraction. Is this the only reason they still wear them?
