Words you just don't get

[WellVersedInEtiquette]

I'm reading a book that describes a place as bucolic. I know what it means. I've read it before I just can't get my head to read it as anything other than bubonic.

I think a lot of people make the "several" mistake @flameycakes

My DH did and I thought it was hilarious and told some of my colleagues and they also thought it meant seven. One even googled it because they were certain it meant seven and I was wrong.

Lots of the new phrases I have been hearing, for example:
park up
hear back
You park, you hear from.
Anyone who say myself and ... or other incorrect use of reflexive pronouns.
I know language evolves, but, these days, the evolution appears to be in the wrong direction.

Pugnacious.

Another vote for bucolic. I know what it means, but I always think it ought to have something to do with stomach cramps.

Some words sound the opposite of what they mean to me. Nonplussed for a start, and ethereal.

@lordpickle I was 15 when someone finally clued me in, it still tickles me now x

Nonplussed too.

I always think it means ‘not bothered’

Agree with nonplussed, it’s a ridiculous sounding word for its meaning.

Plain - I don't think this thread is about peeves about expressions you don't like (we've had plenty of those threads), more about words that are used correctly but personally require a jarring pause to remember the correct meaning.

That said, I don't see the problem with "hear back". If I hear from the school, they are phoning me about some issue that they are raising; if I hear back, that implies that I've phoned and left the message and now they are responding.

Yes to all of these, especially laconic and disingenuous - always have to pause and work them out. Baffled by the phrase “butter wouldn’t melt”. No explanation has ever been enough.

Apocryphal.

Always sounds like it is a huge big bang of a true statement, not just 'fake news' type rumours.

When Americans say "through" to indicate an ending date. I always think it means the thing ends after that date.

So, "sale runs through Friday" means it ends Friday; but to me sounds like it runs through Friday, so ends Saturday.

Vilified. I always think of it as verified, as in confirmed and all good but it's not.

I really can't get my head around the fact that flammable and inflammable mean exactly the same, just doesn't make sense.

I can understand that two different words could have the same/similar meaning, but two words that are nearly the same but one having a prefix added meaning the same is just weird. (Adding in- to the beginning of a word to me should make a word mean the opposite eg complete and incomplete.)

Oh god yes - nonplussed !! How can a word blatantly look like it means one thing but actually mean the complete opposite grrrr

I cannot get my brain to accept that "a couple" is two and "a few" is three or four. It's absolutely convinced that a couple is more than a few. Which is just ridiculous

This may just be me but the word 'mediocre' feels like it means worse than average, like abysmal.

I thought nonplussed means not bothered about something. Doesn't it?

It means surprised, shocked, completely taken aback.

Well I never! I am amazed.

@stopitandtidyupp

"A sight for sore eyes" was always used as a negative thing in my house aswell. The first couple of times I heard it used as a compliment, I just thought the people were being rude 😂

I know violeticecream it blows your mind doesn't it??

Agree with bucolic, laconic and puce!

I have had several discussions with my son about how 'drawing the curtains' means both to open and close them - he insists it must mean one or the other (he doesn't seem to care which) and I was stuck to find new ways to explain that it describes the motion itself. I mentioned it to a friend and it turned out that she believed that drawing the curtains meant opening them and that there should be another word for closing them and now I'm questioning my previous certainty on the matter!

I love to stumble upon a new word.
I'm bilingual, so maybe that's why.

I don't take offense at new words. Why should language be dumbed down to please readers?

I can converse basically in a few languages. My Dad always spoke 3 languages to me, so I pick things up more easily probably. Through work I learned another few for conversational purposes.
I think language is beautiful.