Alternate Meanings
Published May 31, 2004
The Washington POST holds a yearly contest in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for various words. Some of the winning entries for 2001:
Coffee (n.): a person who is coughed upon
Flabbergasted (adj.): appalled over how much weight you have gained
Abdicate (v.): to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach
Esplanade (v.): to attempt a conversation while drunk
Negligent (adj.): describes a condition in which one absently opens the door while wearing a nightie
Lymph (v.): to walk with a lisp
Balderdash (n.): a rapidly receding hairline
Oyster (n.): A person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddish expressions
Originally published June 01, 2004.
