June 15 2011
Switchonyms
On paper, RURAL and URBAN are remarkable opposites. Not just the same length, but their opening pair is a reversal of the other, which makes them far more than antonyms – but switchonyms.
Other pairs exist of course – OCCASIONAL and CONSTANT, LAX and ALERT, IMPOTENT and MIGHTY, REAL and ERSATZ. You might even argue that NAIVE and ANCIENT pass muster, or NIFTY and INANE. As that’s the Switchonym Challenge – to find precise opposites that obey the reversal rule, as well as match in length.
ESCHEW and SELECT is a cosy duet, heeding the switch rule, and both owning six letters, with E as their only vowel. Lovely. Any more? The cosier the better. And a MIGHTY cheer to the Dabbler who can find any switchonyms where a triple opening is reversed: PERSECUTE and REPRESENT? TACTFUL and CATTISH? I’ll turn the Switchonym Challenge your way…
Comments
JD — 15 June at 09:10AM
How can we be thinking about switchonyms when we're trying to interlock six five letter words!! You're messing with our heads.
DA — 15 June at 09:26AM
A good blog is a busy blog, JD. Besides, I'm keen to see how elite is the 'SELECT URBAN' list. And anyway, if your Duplicity dives, then your Switchonyms may soar.
(Here at DA Central, we try to cater to all tastes!)
RK — 15 June at 09:36AM
These aren't all that cosy, but it's a start:
ASININE and SAVVY
SUITABLE and USELESS
and I like these next two, as the opposite (loosely) is a reversal of the first three letters only
TRASH and ART
PLAIN and ALP
RK — 15 June at 09:39AM
Oh, I just realised you wanted them to match in length. Back to the drawing board...
DA — 15 June at 09:50AM
Matching length increases the Cosy Factor, RK - but don't let that dissuade you from suggesting such gems as ART and TRASH. That's just fun.
philth — 15 June at 09:54AM
that other 5x5 grid one is a little too intense at the moment, but here's a few:
a 3:
REMOVE/MERGES
and a few 4's:
FEEBLE/BEEFED
NOMADIC/AMONGST
PROTECT/TORPEDO
they aren't beautiful...
RM — 15 June at 10:06AM
3:
ALPINE/PLANAR
2:
BOSS/OBEY
IMPOSING/MINIMAL
RM — 15 June at 10:10AM
I wasn't trying to copy @RK (although I'm glad we agree the Alps are anything but flat). I just stared at the screen a long time before posting, and didn't refresh.
RM — 15 June at 10:24AM
MACHO / CAMPY
Boniface — 15 June at 11:01AM
Found these two then spotted RK's earlier post. I'll put them on anyway:
TRAINED/ARTLESS
Boniface — 15 June at 11:15AM
Another 3:
ANIMATION/INANITION
and if we were doing synonyms I'd put:
PIZZAZZ/ZIP
DA — 15 June at 11:18AM
ALmost LEWDNESS and WELLBRED
DA — 15 June at 11:39AM
FIRM/IFFY
RM — 15 June at 12:24PM
ORGANICALLY / AGROCHEMICAL
RM — 15 June at 12:27PM
OK, Probably not right to compare adverb and adjective. Can we have multiple words? e.g.:
AGROCHEMICAL / ORGANIC FOOD
?
RM — 15 June at 12:28PM
Except I now have the number of letters wrong!
AGROCHEMICAL / ORGANIC FOODS
AS — 15 June at 01:10PM
INACTIVE-ANIMATED
AS — 15 June at 01:15PM
Here's a curio:
INANIMATE-ANIMATE
AS — 15 June at 01:46PM
SERVILE-RESOLVE
SERENITY-RESOUNDING
SERENITY-RESTLESS
AS — 15 June at 01:47PM
RESOLUTE-SERVILITY
RESOUNDING-SERENITY
RESTLESS-SERENITY
Boniface — 15 June at 03:07PM
Here's a 5 overlay:
INNOCENCE CONNIVERY
SK — 15 June at 03:07PM
Same length-
NUMEROUS - UNVARIED
Not the same length-
NUMERATE - UNEDUCATED
I'm not sure if there is a hidden meaning in the graphic for this post. Seems that this guy is happiest when the lights go out!
SK — 15 June at 03:14PM
DIFFERENT - IDENTICAL
AS — 15 June at 03:20PM
RESOLUTE-SERVILITY
RESOUNDING-SERENITY
RESTLESS-SERENITY
Shuchi — 15 June at 05:23PM
This is fun!
UPBEAT and PUT-OFF
BASIC and ABSTRUSE
NUTRITIOUS and UNHEALTHY
Nib — 15 June at 10:59PM
MARRIAGE - RAMPANCY
DESPERATE - SEDUCTIVE
BEDRIDDEN - DEBUNKING
Mauve — 16 June at 12:28AM
3-letters...
BLACK - ALBINO
RAPSCALLION - PARAGON
4-letters...
TRAPPED - PARTNERED
Mauve — 16 June at 12:30AM
only just saw the same-length rule :-(
DA — 16 June at 07:10AM
Not a rule - more a bragging right.
Some couples that occurred overnight:
PANICKY/NAPPING
APLENTY/PAUCITY
ALPHA/PLAN B
And a curio: RODENTS/DORMICE
RK — 16 June at 07:31AM
A bit of a fudge to get them the same length:
LACKADAISICAL/CALCULATINGLY
DA — 16 June at 07:34AM
Sooooo close: ALBINO/BLACK
RK — 16 June at 07:38AM
PERNICIOUS/REPARATIVE
RK — 16 June at 07:44AM
Opposite ways of speaking, perhaps:
ENUNCIATED/UNEDUCATED
DA — 16 June at 07:45AM
And being in a silly mood:
BONANZA/NO BUCKS
RK — 16 June at 07:49AM
Almost:
MONEY BAGS/NO MOOLAH
AS — 16 June at 09:26AM
RESOLUTE-SERVILITY
RESOUNDING-SERENITY
RESTLESS-SERENITY
Mauve — 16 June at 12:16PM
I claim original stuffing-up rights to albino/black :)
DA — 16 June at 12:31PM
So you do, Mauve. Sorry for the inadvertent piracy.
AGILE/GAMMY
AUSSIES/SUAVITY
Joe — 07 January at 01:51AM
My son posted a definition of the word 'switchonym' on the Websters page awhile back that differs from your use, but is equally fun though a bot more simplistic. He defined the term to refer to those words that transform to new words when two letters in the first term switch places and a new word is formed. For example - SMILE, its switchonym is SLIME, as he M and L switched places.