worddifferences

Word differences

by Bob on June 14, 2007

Words are amazing things. So are human gestures and body language, what is called non-verbal communication. These latter gestures seem to over-ride whatever words are being exchanged between people whilst conversing.

But we look at something seemingly more trivial and banal now.

Words, which if one letter is switched, a totally different, but not altogether absurd meaning comes to light.

Freud spoke of the psychology of "errors" or as we call it today the proverbial "Freudian slip" in using words. Freud thought the slip was no accident, and was a realisation of something going on in our subconscious.

So, we look at such words. Single or multiple letter interpolations can make all the difference. And what the corresponding new word and its connotations mean.

This can be more generalised to substitution of letters not in the original word, or a multi-letter interpolation.

We start with a simple permutation of the word and see what corresponding word comes up and if it's at all related. We might be surprised.

1. wired - weird

Sometimes we see people who are "wired" which means quite

nervous and hyperactive. To many this would result in weird

behaviour.

2. tow - two

It takes two things to tow something.

3. drop - prod

When a person prods into another's business or affair, it is

like dropping something heavy or dropping into their lives.

4. demon - monde

"Monde" is the French word for "world". Many people believe

in this world there are many demons to contend with.

5. vile - evil - live

Vile and evil are almost synonyms. And to live might be

evil or vile to some people, if they believe in souls entrapped

in a material body and world.

6. life - file

Everybody is a number these days and a folder in a file

cabinet of some government bureaucracy.

7. words - sword

Words are very frequently as powerful as sword.

8. male - lame

Many consider most men to be lame in many ways. Then

again, many men consider women lame in some way. But

the wordplay only works out for men and lame. ;)

9. won - now

If we win, we are definitely living in the glory of the now

and the winning moment.

10. lose - sole

If one is lonely or otherwise solitary, hence a sole being,

one frequently loses out in life. Life is meant for a couples.

Adam was lonely and asked for a companion and got Eve

which was great until she persuaded him to eat the apple.

But they still remained together. Similarly, Frankenstein's

monster, paralleling the biblical story, said he was lonely

and got a bride from Dr. Frankenstein.

11. love - vole

Love can sneak up on it when we least expect it. A vole

is a little mouse that can sneak in anywhere. Like falling

in love.

12. slop - lops

To lop something off is frequently to be either sloppy or

neat.

13. eat - tea

Tea frequently accompanies a meal.

14. rule - lure

A rule frequently lures us into something we didn't quite

expect.

And it goes on. Oh let's throw in some academic and scholarly papers, too, while we're at it.

* * *

Science 18 July 2003, Vol. 301. no. 5631, pp. 322 - 323

Perspectives

NEUROSCIENCE: When Is a Word Not a Word?

Anthony R. McIntosh and Nancy J. Lobaugh

It has long been debated whether specialization of the left and right brain hemispheres with regard to language depends on the linguistic stimulus itself or on the task that must be performed with that stimulus. In their Perspective, McIntosh and Lobaugh discuss new work (Stephan et al.) that resolves this debate, showing that it is the task to be performed with a linguistic stimulus that dictates which hemisphere is the most active.