In the pantheon of classic rock songs, there's arguably no tune more classic than ‘Stairway to Heaven.’ Led Zeppelin’s 1971 opus has it all: mystical lyrics, memorable riffs, and a monster guitar solo.
The vagueness of the lyrics allows listeners to interpret the song in their own way, adding to the magic and mystery of the track.
There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven
There's a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
Speaking of words with two meanings, here’s an ambiguous sentence for you: After dinner, the gentlemen have left and the ladies are left.
We’ve stumbled into the looking-glass world of ‘contranyms’— words that are their own opposites or antonyms.
Left can mean either remaining or departed. If the gentlemen have withdrawn to the drawing room for after-dinner cigars, who’s left?
Sanction can mean ‘give official permission or approval for (an action)’ or conversely, ‘impose a penalty on.’
Fast can mean ‘moving rapidly,’ as in ‘running fast,’ or ‘fixed, unmoving,’ as in ‘holding fast.’ If colors are fast they will not run.
Off means ‘deactivated,’ as in ‘to turn off,’ but also ‘activated,’ as in ‘The alarm went off.’
Weather can mean ‘to withstand ’ as in ‘The company weathered the recession,’ or it can mean ‘worn away’: ‘The rock was weathered.’
The contranym goes by many names, including ‘auto-antonym,’ ‘antagonym,’ (nice!) ‘self-antonym,’ and ‘Janus word’ (from the Roman god of beginnings and endings, often depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions).
Anatomical Amusement
So funny, this human anatomy
Where can a man buy a cap for his knee?
Or the key to a lock of his hair?
Can his eyes be called an academy,
because there are pupils there?
Can you sit in the shade of the palm of your hand?
Or create a beat on your ear drum?
Can the calf in your leg eat the corn off your toe?
Can the crook in your elbow be sent to jail?
And how can you sharpen your shoulder blades?
Time for some bad news: sorry, none of us was selected to be Time’s Person of the Year and yes, it hurts that Barbie, a fictional character, was nominated over real people like you and me.
But there’s always next year — and the first step toward building a strong resume for 2024’s POY is to take some time off to nurture yourself and others. Radiate warmth and modern elegance in that trendy Peach Fuzz attire.
May your holiday season be filled with plenty of mirth, creative expression and linguistic delights — live well and spread the joy!
Haha, loved your thought’s seamlessly climbing up and down from Zeppelin’s stairway to double-trouble words and finally resting on positive thoughts/ wishes for coming year!
But what I didn’t get...is the beautiful painting of old guy buckled under a haystack...what does it say...I am puzzled.