Korean Job Discussion Forums

[billybrobby]

Somebody lists 2 (near) synonyms and then the next person tells the difference between the two. That person then lists two words of their own.

This game is based on what an English teacher of mine once said which was "there are no true synonyms" i.e. every word has subtle distinctions that make it unique in the English language.

There is no right answer for any two words, although I imagine there are a number of wrong answers. Also, it's not a contest to see who can find 2 words that are the most exactly indentical. The idea is to let people express their personal sense of what words mean.

Probably nobody will want to play this game.

Example:

Angry and Irate

I think irate is a stronger word than angry. It's also more specific. I see irate as being an upright, justified sense of anger possessed by somebody who feels they have been wronged. Imagine a rigid finger pointing in the air, and that's my sense of what irate is.

Precise and Exact

[Hater Depot]

To me precise refers to something which is measurable. Exact is better for qualitative judgments; precise, for quantitative.

Fix and repair. Got that one recently from a coworker.

[Sina qua non]

If this is a game, I'd hate to see the party.

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

"Fix" could mean to spruce something up that still works, "repair" indicating that the object in need of repair is broken.

Drink and imbibe.

[billybrobby]

Fix can be used when you are setting something up the way you want it to be (fix a meal, fix the world series) whereas repair is always about making a broken thing work again. Also, fix has the meaning of putting something in a stationary position. I also think fix is more down-homey. "I'm fixin' to get started"

edit - doh! i was too late.

[billybrobby]

drink and imbibe

I think the main difference in these words is how they feel, not so much their meaning. imbibe is a snooty 10 dollar word. drink is plain. Also, when I think of imbibing, I usually thinking of drinking alcohol or medicine or poison, rather than plain liquids. maybe that's just me.

Rip and Tear

[Maserial]

[gang ah jee]

You dissed sparkles' movie thread then posted this???

[Maserial]

[cwemory]

imbibe is formal or humourous and nearly always refers to alcohol.
Also, if I'm not mistaken, imbibe is also intransitive, whereas drink is transitive unless it refers to alcohol.

student and pupil


nevermind...too late

[jajdude]

Most of us never use "pupil" do we? Just my spidey senses tingling here, but "pupil" sounds like "student, but only in the classroom," but you can be a student anywhere, like the expression, "He's a student of the game."
Or, "He's a high school student" (even when he's sleeping.)

How about

easy and simple ?

[Grimalkin]

[quote="Maserial"]

[Grimalkin]

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

[cwemory]

idle is not working. lazy is unwilling to work.

pretty and attractive

damnit...im a slow poster....