Words that Don’t Mean What They Sound Like

[Sarah]

I just discovered that a fathom is actually only six feet. It feels like it should be a lot more than that.

Any other words that don’t mean what they sound like they should mean?

[Ken, Moderator]

INFLAMMABLE, which means "can easily catch fire," same as FLAMMABLE.

"Full fathom five my father lies..." So Dad's only 30 feet down? Well, shoot. Scoop him out of Davy Jones' locker and give him a decent burial.

[Doug]

I am sure this topic will generate a lot of discussion. Aside from that words are just sounds invented to, or even acted into law to, and quoined to, audibly communicate exact thoughts. Thoughts are nebulous and cloudlike but not vast or misty and may be inexact. Ask a poet.

[Sarah]

Verklempt is a word in Yiddish. I always thought it meant something like forlorn, but apparently it means overly emotional. That’s kind of the opposite.

[Ruth]

To me verklempt has always sounded like exactly what it is.

[Ken, Moderator]

Similar to schadenfreude, perhaps? It's German for "heh, heh, heh, heh" in a Key of Cackle.

[Ruth]

Ken wrote: "Similar to schadenfreude, perhaps? It's German for "heh, heh, heh, heh" in a Key of Cackle."

LOL

[Doug]

I have heard of people who forgot to put oil in their cars and the engine went Verklempt. That is exactly what it sounds like the problem was. Very seized.

[Sarah]

I blame my cousins. They kept saying they were verklempt during a family vacation and they made it sound like they were sad.