13 Words That Changed From Negative to Positive Meanings (or Vice Versa)

One of the main reasons for the existence of slang is to keep the outsiders from understanding the insiders. Making up new words is one way to achieve this, but it’s not the only one. A favorite trick for the young to play on the old is to take an established word and completely change its connotations from bad to good. In recent decades we’ve seen sick, wicked, ill, and bad recruited to the “hearty positive endorsement” side. While some would lament the decline of language suggested by such wanton disregard for word meaning, this kind of meaning switch is nothing new. Here are 13 fine, upstanding words that long ago switched from negative to positive (or vice versa).

1. Fun

Fun was first a verb meaning "to cheat or hoax." It came from fon, an old word for "fool." It still retains some of that sense in “make fun of,” but now also means "a merry good time."

2. Fond

Fond also goes back to fon, and it once meant "foolish and weak-minded." It came to then mean over-affectionate in a negative, cloying way. Now it’s positive, but at root, being fond of something is basically being a fool for it.

3. Terrific

The root of terrific is terror, and it first meant terror-inducing. It then became an exaggerated intensifier (“terrifically good!” = so good it’s terrifying) and then a positive term all on its own.

4. Tremendous

Like terrific, tremendous has its roots in fear. Something tremendous was so terrible it caused trembling or shaking. It also became an intensifier (“tremendously good!”) before it went all the way positive.

5. Awe

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, awe originally referred to “immediate and active fear.” It then became associated with religious, reverential fear, and then to a feeling of being humbled at the sublime. While awful retains the negative sense, awesome took on the positive one.

6. Grin

To grin was to bare the teeth in a threatening display of anger or pain. It then became the term for a forced, fake smile, before settling into an expression of happiness.

7. Smart

Smart was first used in Old English to describe things that cause pain. Weapons, nails, and darts were smart. Shakespeare’s Henry VI has the phrase “as smart as lizards’ stings.” It took on connotations of sharpness, quickness, intensity, and, through smart, pain-causing words or wit came to stand for quick intelligence and fashionableness.

8. Egregious

Egregious was a positive word that turned negative. It...

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7 Financial Resolutions That Will Save You Thousands

No matter if you love or hate New Year's Resolutions, they're hard to avoid during January. While you can commit to new financial goals anytime, having a new year ahead of you is the perfect opportunity to refresh your priorities and get motivated.

If one of your goals is to save more money this year, this post will review seven resolutions you can make to save thousands. Even if you only adopt a few, they can move your finances in a positive direction.

7 financial resolutions for the new year

Here's the detail on each resolution that can put money in your pocket and improve your financial life.

1. Go on a spending freeze

Controlling spending is a struggle for most people. It's a critical financial skill because if you spend every penny you make, you won't have anything left to save and invest each month. Living below your means is the key to getting ahead financially and building wealth.

A spending freeze can help because it's a period when you decide to spend money only on necessities, such as groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, and insurance. The idea is to resist the urge to buy wants, such as excess clothes, trinkets, or housewares, and be grateful for what you already have.

A spending freeze allows you to see how much and how often you buy stuff that you really don't need, even if you can afford it.

A spending freeze allows you to see how much and how often you buy stuff that you really don't need, even if you can afford it. The money you don't spend on extras could get earmarked for a savings goal, such as boosting your emergency savings or maxing out a retirement account.  

You might start by freezing all unnecessary spending for several weeks or a month. Or you might freeze certain types of purchases that are problematic for your budget, such as spending on hobbies, beauty products, or luxury items. Consider extending the duration of a spending freeze or doing one several times throughout the year to maximize your savings.

2. Check your impulse spending

And speaking of living within your means, if you're an impulsive spender, it's time to resolve to quit. Here are some strategies that can help:

• Never shop as entertainment. Don't tempt yourself by going shopping in person or online if you're bored or just trying to fill time. When you're trying to save money, be...

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Will a Low-Carb Diet Really Boost Your Metabolism?

According to Google Search data, interest in the ketogenic diet appears to have waned significantly lately. But the popular and scientific fascination with low-carb diets persists.

The ketogenic diet, of course, is just the latest reincarnation of other diets that severely restrict carbohydrates, including the Atkins, South Beach, and Dukan diets. The goal of these very-low-carb diets is to induce ketosis, where the body’s cells are forced to burn fat for energy instead of sugar. 

Just because the body is using fat as its fuel source, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s burning body fat.

Although sugar (or carbohydrate) is the body’s preferred source of energy, we have very flexible metabolisms. If sugar isn’t available and fat is, the body can switch over to burn fat instead. Sort of like a car that can run on both gas and electric power. If the battery runs out of juice, the car can burn gasoline until you have a chance to recharge your batteries.

RELATED: Carbs or Fat: Which Is the Body's Preferred Fuel Source?

Just because the body is using fat as its fuel source, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s burning body fat. First, it will be burning the fat that you eat, and ketogenic diets tend to be very high in fat. You'll only start burning body fat for energy when your body runs out of dietary fuel. So if you take in fewer calories than you burn, your body will turn to its fat stores to make up the difference. But this is true of any diet, not just low-carb diets.

So why the continuing fascination with very-low-carb diets? Well, one advantage of being in ketosis for a prolonged period of time is that it suppresses your appetite. That can make it easier to eat less. But in order to reap this advantage, you have to be pretty strict in your avoidance of carbohydrates.

What is the carbohydrate-insulin hypothesis?

Very-low-carb diets also tend to reduce blood sugar levels and insulin production. One of the normal (and necessary) biological functions of insulin is to promote fat storage. The carbohydrate-insulin hypothesis supposes that a diet high in carbs would result in higher insulin levels, which would, in turn, cause you to store fat and become obese. Restricting carbohydrates, therefore, should suppress insulin, trigger fat burning, and reverse obesity.

Study after study, including some designed and funded by proponents of the carbohydrate-insulin theory, have failed to prove the theory.

The carbohydrate-insulin theory also argues that low-carb diets lead to weight loss because they increase your metabolism, or the number of calories you burn. Theoretically, you would lose more weight...

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Live Right, Save Money, Be Happy

Here are some of the tried-and-true methods, along with benefits unique to each approach.

See dentists and doctors regularly

No one likes medical surprises in the form of emergency dental or medical attention. Working adults who neglect doctor and dentist visits are taking serious risks.

Living right and staying healthy means getting the medical attention you need, and getting it routinely. Especially after the age of 50, it's smart to have a full medical exam once per year. There's a reason medical coverage typically reimburses in full for annual check-ups and twice-yearly dental exams. Carriers would much rather pay for a relatively inexpensive wellness exam or check-up than fork over a sizable sum of money for long-term treatment regimens that could have been avoided with preventive care.

Buy life insurance

Purchasing life insurance does two very important things. First, it allows you to provide for your family's financial needs after you're gone. Second, if you get permanent coverage, like a standard whole life policy, you can sell it if you ever need money in an emergency, or for any reason at all.

There's genuine peace of mind that comes with knowing your loved ones are protected from financial stress after you pass away. And if you face unexpected bills and need a ready source of funds, you can simply go online and get several estimates on the sale price of your whole life policy.

The process is fast and simple. Plus, when you sell your life insurance policy, the only amount of the proceeds that are taxable are those that exceed the tax basis (the total amount of premiums you've paid to date). Selling can be a very wise move, too—often, when one spouse passes away, when there's a dire need to pay unexpected medical or other kinds of bills, or the premiums become too high.

Learn how to relax

Stress has the potential to cause medical problems, but it also can make you miserable. The good news is that there are effective ways to beat stress and minimize its effects. Learning to meditate or taking part in guided relaxation sessions are two popular strategies. Regular exercise, stretching, and yoga are other choices that many people find satisfying for keeping stress at bay.

Get enough sleep

When you get between seven and nine hours of sleep per night, it's much easier to...

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How Long Can a Person Hold Their Breath?

As a parent, I often find myself asking questions I never thought I would ask: How long can someone survive on raisins alone? How did that yogurt get on the ceiling?

And so one night, after carefully placing my sleeping baby down in his crib, I stood there holding my breath, noting that I would obviously choose passing out over possibly making the slightest sound that could wake him. I wondered, How long can a person’s body go without oxygen? What sets that limit and why is it that some people can hold their breath for minutes but others only seconds?

To set the Guinness World Record for breath-holding, a professional freediver went without breath for a whopping 24 minutes and 3 seconds.

The Guinness World Record for the longest time spent holding one’s breath was set in 2016 by Aleix Segura Vendrell in a pool in Spain. The professional freediver went without breath for a whopping 24 minutes and 3 seconds. Before Vendrell, a record was set just two years earlier in 2014 by Danish freediver Stig Severinsen at 22 minutes. Those numbers are more than 40 times longer than the 30 seconds or so that the average person goes before coming up for air. Compare that to the fastest mile-run on record at an impressive 3 minutes and 43 seconds which is only 3-4 times shorter than the more average pace of a 12-minute mile.

Hyperventilating allows you to hold your breath longer

When you hold your breath, it’s not actually the lack of oxygen that does you in, but the excess of carbon dioxide that is not getting exhaled. When CO2 builds up in your body, your blood will acidify as your enzymes convert water and the excess CO2 into carbonic acid. This acidification can lead to drowsiness and headaches and ultimately have a detrimental effect on the body’s major organs.

One way record-breaking breath-holders manage such long stints under water is to breathe pure oxygen (basically hyperventilate) before their diving attempt.

So one way record-breaking breath holders manage such long...

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Tips for Breathing Easier this Winter

Let’s face it, you either love or hate winter. For all the winter fanatics, the season is the perfect time of year for activities like skiing, skating, building a snowman and even getting cozy in front of the fire with a warm cup of hot chocolate. But for others, the negative aspects of winter outweigh the positive.

Whether you love or hate it, the winter air quality is important for your health because cooler temperatures can actually put your health at risk in a number of ways, even in people with no serious lung problems. If you aren’t fully prepared to tackle the harsh weather, you’re likely to experience discomfort and pain every time you step outside.

Cold weather makes breathing a lot more difficult. Aside from winter being cold and flu season, cold air can have a negative impact on your breathing, whether you have underlying health issues like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or not. That’s because our airways naturally become narrower when we breathe in cooler, dryer air. The moisture in our throats evaporates as the air hits, triggering symptoms like coughing and shortness of breath.

Lung health and viruses

Now more than ever, we realize how essential it is to invest in our lung health. Doctors have discovered that smokers and people with poor lung health who have contracted COVID-19 are at higher risk for more severe symptoms and even death. As a result, face masks have become necessary disease-prevention accessories that help put a stop to droplets being transmitted from person to person, diminishing the spread.

Long-term exposure to unclean air can cause other lung illnesses and complications, too. Being mindful of the air we breathe will help us live longer, more satisfying lives.

Fighting breathing problems this winter

People who experience shallow breathing whenever the temperature drops can take several precautions to protect themselves from these frustrating...

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Capital vs. Capitol

You might go on a trip someday to visit the capital. While you're there, you could tour the Capitol. What a capital idea!

Capital

"Capital" refers a city that is the seat of government for its region or is important in some way. 

It has other meanings, too. A capital is an uppercase letter. Capital is wealth or money, especially in the context of business:

Squiggly needs capital to get his hot chocolate stand up and running.

"Capital" can also mean “particular or significant”:

It is of capital importance that we arrive early so don’t end up in the back.

And it can mean “fabulous”:

Bringing songs to sing on the bus? That's a capital idea!

And of course, we have capital crimes and capital punishment, which relate to the death penalty.

Capitol

The other kind of "capitol" refers to buildings—state capitol buildings or, in the United States, the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. 

Since capitol with an O is just for buildings, think of the big rotunda of the Capitol building as round like the letter O in the word.

"Capitol" with an O refers only to buildings; that’s its only use. You can remember the spelling by thinking that the big rotunda of the Capitol building is round like the letter O in the word.

Should you capitalize 'capitol'?

You capitalize it when you’re writing about the Capitol building in D.C. where Congress meets. According to AP style, you should also capitalize it when referring to a specific state capitol building, but other style guides say to keep it lowercase for state capitol buildings, so be sure to check your style guide if you follow one.

The Senate convened at the Capitol to vote on the new bill.

Our class visited Wisconsin's Capitol in Madison last week. (AP style, NYT style)

Our class visited Wisconsin's capitol in Madison last week. (Chicago style)

 

 

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