http://www.wordnik.com/lists/deceptively-named-words#comments Comments for the list 'Deceptively named words' http://www.wordnik.com http://www.wordnik.com/lists/deceptively-named-words#comments I suspect that until they know better, most people wouldn't trust a person described as ingenuous or redoubtable, but might be attracted to one that they were told possesssed cupidity, was libertine or licentious. Wouldn't you rather meet a meretricious, nonplussed, queanly spendthrift with a wizened face and her feet planted firmly in the firmament more than a tripping one with a pulchritudinous face? Temerarious and puissant sound frightened and reserved. Restive and enervated sound calming and charged up respectively. Prosaic speech sounds like it might be flowery, lofty or lauditory, and inflammable sounds a lot safer than flammable. Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:50:46 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/lists/deceptively-named-words#comments http://www.wordnik.com/lists/deceptively-named-words#comments Admittedly, this is a very subjective quality in a word. Still, there must be a degree of objectivity to this trait, since many people will agree that many of these words fit this description. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:31:26 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/lists/deceptively-named-words#comments