A Little Something for Teachers 7

Misleading Likenesses

 

Some words look like family

But they are certainly not,

They may be physical similarities

But that’s where it must stop.

We shall prove the above 

As we examine such words,

I hope the way they are used

Don’t appear to be absurd.

I now invite you to come with me

And think the way I think,

The words I selected are easy to see

They have been typed in bold print.

I have accentuated their similarities

By using them in pairs,

 But try not to compare them

To contrast would be fair.

The first pair up is bazaar and bizarre

The former is good with loads of fun

But if the latter should happen

You know the former is done.

Some politicians are elected

To run a country’s affairs

But the “I” causes much ruin

Showing they didn’t really care.

The electorate hopes they would mesh

So together they could impress

But given their selfish ambition

They only cause a mess.

In canvassing they commend themselves

So they could get the vote

But after, the people condemn them

For they do nothing of note.

Another two are spacious and specious

Marvel at the difference an a and e make,

In the first there is adequate room

While in the second there’s spurious intake.

You have heard of foster care:

Looking after an adopted child’s welfare

But when the child is foisted upon someone

That’s something the child finds hard to bear. 

Just removing an “l” can cause trouble

As in the case of salvage and savage:

The first refers to damage control

The second is an expression of the damage.

At school she didn’t learn much

Though there was a lot of fuss

Instead of learning she wasted her time

Such that her head was full of mush. 

Positive information is good

When it is processed in the brain 

But inflammation is horrible

And sometimes has to be drained.

Offer and offal sound nearly alike

But rarely do they ever mix

While the first is to be desired

With the second you’re in a fix.

Not much contrast in “walk” and “talk”

But an interest in what they mean,

Some people talk but never walk

In others both talk and walk can be seen.

An apologist argues the point,

His business is apologetics

But when an apology is frequently made

Somebody is playing tricks.

Adding can sometimes be harmful

As in the case of cure and curse,  

The cure is all right without the “s”

But add it in and you have a mess. 

Give me the coin any day

But please keep away the con

Even though wherever there’s money

You’re likely to find one.

The educated man is able to think

And can do so on his own,

The indoctrinated one is so brainwashed

That his behavior is more like a clone.

 Friend and fiend are closely matched

But for the presence of an “r”

In the former’s case you can draw near,

In the latter’s you’d better keep far.

I was elated when I heard the news

But deflated in that it wasn’t true,

It appears there was a huge mistake

And it was announced before they knew.

Look at ubiquitous and iniquitous

They almost go hand in hand,

The one before means present everywhere

The one after is the evil that men plan.

I knew that I was innocent

And so I rejoiced at my vindication,

But those who wanted to destroy me

Were only interested in my vilification.

Affluence speaks of the kind of progress

That is common to the famous and wealthy

But if their effluence is not treated properly

They could be sick and unhealthy.

Amen and omen are vastly different

Amen expresses “so let it be”,

Omen by contrast is oft in the mind

But not the reality one wants to see.

These words may have looked like family

But they were certainly not

For having looked past their similarities

It’s the contrast that we have got.

Stewart Russell © August 2017