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
