There's one quirk of the English language that has bothered me for quite some time, and until now I haven't really had a great forum to get it off my chest. I know the esteemed readers of the Neon Colored Can of Worms blog will appreciate the complaining (at least, moreso than my less intelectual friends).
Let's set up an analogy.
Terrible : Terrific :: Horrible : Horrific
In SAT terms, this would be fales. Quite false, in fact - Terrible and Terrific are antonyms, whilest Horrible and Horrific are synonyms.
But when viewed from the mile-high guise of a syntax-ographer, it's absolutely true.
Take the words Terrible and Terrific. Cut the "Terr" (which is odd in and of itself, meaning "three" or "earth," depending on which r you cut off at) and you're left with "ible" and "ific" ("rible and rific").
Replace each "Terr" with a "Horr," the same root, and all of a sudden the two antonyms are synonyms.
Who's got an answer?
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