Words you thought had a different meaning

[longtompot]

I heard the word Turgid on Gardeners World recently. I always thought it meant stagnant, but it means full of water!
Are there any words you thought meant one thing but found out it was something else?

Nonce....I called my dh this once.

We usually call each other names, it’s a joke

However when I called him this, he visibly drew back and went “I am not a paedo!”

I honestly didn’t know it meant that. I thought it was another word for idiot or something similar..

When I was about 15 I went to a party and the next day someone asked me if I got off with anyone. I thought got off meant talked to. So I said yes......everyone.

Promiscuous. When I first heard this word as a teenager some 30 odd years ago, I thought it sounded like a good way to be, probably because it sounded like 'promise'

Spendthrift. I think it ought to mean someone who is thrifty with their spending, but it means the opposite.

I did that with my Dad!

That was supposed to be a reply to Soubriquet!

@Soubriquet

Nonce....I called my dh this once.

We usually call each other names, it’s a joke

However when I called him this, he visibly drew back and went “I am not a paedo!”

I honestly didn’t know it meant that. I thought it was another word for idiot or something similar..

I never knew that!

I’m glad I’m not the only one who didn’t know this

I didn’t know what ‘twat’ meant. It sounded like an affectionate kind of insult to me - on a par with muppet.

nonce comes from Not on Normal Courtyard Exercise - ie segregated from gen pop afaik

Fortunately .. I always though it was a bad thing. So for example in assembly at primary school the headmaster once said we fortunately (or we are fortunate) to have PC Plod here from Scotland Yard, and I sthought that he was being unkind. I still find my mind double takes on the word, I have to think about what is being said.

"nonce comes from Not on Normal Courtyard Exercise - ie segregated from gen pop afaik"

Sorry but that is bollocks. A made up bacronym. The word has been around since the middle ages with a different meaning.

turgid makes me think of erect penises - must have been described that way in a book
Twat is used where I am as a lighthearted insult- I know it is also female genitalia

When I was about 15 I went to a party and the next day someone asked me if I got off with anyone. I thought got off meant talked to. So I said yes......everyone.

This reminds me of a confusing conversation I had with an Australian about men I'd pulled.

Turns out "pulled" means something quite different over there...

Does it not mean how many you kissed? A bit like how many you got off with

@IlanaWexler I think that might be a case of it meaning something to the one Australian you spoke to.

I’m Australian and I can see where you’re going with it, but I know the meaning to be the same as what you’re thinking - how many men you’ve slept with.

@Alexindiamondarmour I said I'd pulled two men at the party (meaning I'd kissed two guys), he looked shocked, which confused me a bit but whatever. Then I asked him if he had pulled anyone at the party and he said "what, no, I'm straight!" which confused me further, until he "you're talking about handjobs, right?!"

Bucolic - I thought it meant overweight and kind of red faced and grumpy but it means the beauty of the countryside! Who knew

My mum was taken aback at me referring to my then boyfriend who had done something daft as a numpty, she got confused between numpty and nonce.

@IlanaWexler omg! How embarrassing! See pulled to me means slept with. Oops, looks like lots of us are all over the place with that one. I def don’t relate it to handjobs.

Pulled to me just means kissing, not as far as sleeping with. Doesn't mean a hand job

Bucolic - thought it meant a horrible place, was very surprised when realised it was beautiful countryside. I think it's because the word itself sounds quite harsh.

turgid makes me think of erect penises - must have been described that way in a book

Same here, I'm pretty sure 10 Things I Hate About You is to blame.

@dementedpixie

turgid makes me think of erect penises - must have been described that way in a book Twat is used where I am as a lighthearted insult- I know it is also female genitalia

I think that might be tumescent.

@Soubriquet

Nonce....I called my dh this once.

We usually call each other names, it’s a joke

However when I called him this, he visibly drew back and went “I am not a paedo!”

I honestly didn’t know it meant that. I thought it was another word for idiot or something similar..

Yes I was the same...it really sounds like quite an innocent, playful term for idiot, fool etc! My sister set me straight!

I always think mollified sounds diffident to what it is. I think because it is a bit like a mix of mortified and horrified, it makes me think of a sort of mix of shocked and embarrassed.