Have you ever wondered any of these things?
- When something is "hot" and when something is "cool."
Generally, these terms are used interchangably in reference to something which an individual has a positive attitude towards. Yet, how can they have the same connotation when their denotations are polar opposites?
- A "wise man" as opposed to a "wise guy."
The comparison between these two phrases never crossed my mind until I heard it mentioned in a commercial on the radio (I forget for which product). A "wise man" is usually respected, whereas a "wise guy" is looked down upon and often derided.
- To "have a temper" and to "lose one's temper."
Let's face it: both mean you're agitated, angry, pissed off. So why would both the presence and the absence of a temper mean the same thing?
Can you think of any more paradoxical idioms? ;)
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