"Sanction" is a terrible word

[dr_whom]

"Harvard to sanction final clubs, Greek organizations"

I thought this Crimson headline meant the opposite of what it actually means.

Comments

[q10.livejournal.com]

I guessed right, but it really is a terrible word.

Also bitter about the UK/US situation with the verb 'table'.

[inthelemonlight.livejournal.com]

Same as q10.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Yeah, words should not be allowed to mean both one thing and its opposite.

Now to go read the article and find out which of the two possibilities is actually what's going on.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

And, having clicked through, it appears they've reworded the headline to get rid of the ambiguity. Now the verb is "penalize."

[dr_whom]

Oh, good for them.

[(Anonymous)]

I found a new of these the other day: "reciprocal". Compare:

Life cannot subsist in society but by reciprocal concessions. (Samuel Johnson)

...the pressures and expansions [volumes] to be in reciprocal relation. (Boyle, stating his gas law)

David S.

[pastwatcher]

Yay, now you share a pet peeve of mine! :)