SECRET LINKS

GAMES Magazine

November/December, 1979

Dmitri A. Borgmann

 

Observe the initials of the title above: S and L. There is something most curious about these letters. Patient investigation has uncovered the fact that a seemingly endless array of terms designating opposites, or at least strong contrasts, involves these two particular letters. Consider, for example, the following pairs of terms. [Borgman then lists 20 pairs of opposites with initial letters S and L. How many can you think of before looking at the list?]

 

SMALL - LARGE       SLAVERY - LIBERTY

SHORT - LONG          STRICT - LAX

SOLID - LIQUID         SLANTING - LEVEL 

SOFT - LOUD              STAND - LIE 

SEA - LAND                SIR - LADY

SKILL - LUCK            SLANDER - LIBEL 

SUPPER - LUNCH      STINGY - LIBERAL 

SOLAR - LUNAR        SERIOUSNESS - LEVITY

SECURE - LOOSE       SHADOW - LIGHT 

SNARL - LAUGH        STRIKE - LOCKOUT 

   The list can be extended at will. It was SOUTH who took up arms against the LINCOLN. One of the most intensely anticipated boxing matches of this century [20th], involving national and racial prestige was the one in 1938 between Max SCHMELING and Joe LOUIS. [From the mundane,] comic strip figures SUPERMAN and Lois LANE, and at the highest level, SATAN opposes the LORD throughout eternity.

   The S-L Syndrome is unique in the annals of the alphabet. Nonetheless, at least a few pairs of contrasting words can be hunted up to represent any combination of two letters.

   An interesting exercise involves the pairs A-A, B-B, C-C, ..... Z-Z. Though more difficult to exemplify than the S-L Syndrome, each of the 26 pairs of like letters can be conquered - with diligence and imagination. See how complete a list of like-letter opposites you can compile, avoiding word pairs that differ only in endings indicating gender (such as DUKE - DUCHESS or WAITER - WAITRESS), then compare your solutions with mine.

  

[Borgmann then lists examples of each of the 26 pairs of like-letter opposites. How many can you think of before looking at his list?]

A-A   Asleep - Awake, Arctic - Antarctic

B-B   Brain - Brawn, Bearish - Bullish

C-C   Charge - Credit, Concave - Convex

D-D   Dawn - Dusk, Dot - Dash

E-E   Entrance - Exit, Enduring - Ephemeral 

F-F   Friend - Foe, Flora - Fauna

G-G   Guys - Gals, Goose - Gander

H-H   His - Hers, Heaven - Hell

I-I    Impulsive - Inhibited

J-J   Jack - Jill, Judge - Jury

K-K  Kith - Kin, Knight - Knave

L-L   Lord - Lady, Latitude - Longitude

M-M  Mountain - Molehill, 

N-N   Niece - Nephew 

O-O   On - Off, Orient - Occident

P-P   Push - Pull, Pleasure - Pain

Q-Q   Quality - Quantity

R-R   Rags - Riches

S-S   Saint - Sinner, Save - Spend

T-T   Thick - Thin, Turmoil - Tranquility

U-U  Usual - Unusual

V-V   Virtue - Vice

W-W  Wax - Wane, Warp - Woof

X-X   Xenophobe - Xenophile

Y-Y   Yin - Yang

Z-Z   Zig - Zag, Zero - Zillion 

 

Others (Borgmann):

I-I: Intelligence - Idiocy

M-M: Maximum - Minimum

R-R: Radical - Reactionary 

V-V: Victor - Vanquished 

 

JA: Savings - Loan