It always confused me how “to dust” can mean either “to apply dust” or “to remove dust”. And “original” can either mean something very old or very new

I used this in a story I wrote. A group of friends are auditioning to be in an orchestra. Two of the musicians have learned they've been accepted and one turns to the third: "Okay, it's down to you." "Don't you mean 'it's UP to you'?" "Either way..."

Not *quite* identical to each other, but for something large like a building, it can both burn up and burn down.

Up and down can also be the same when talking about air conditioning. "Turn the AC down" could be to turn down the temperature and make it colder, or it could be to make it hotter.

I'm old enough to remember, "down for it" entering American speech from the AAV term, "get down" (shout out to James Brown). It was definitely a phrase used by the younger, "hipper" crowd in the late 60's.

I thought you would talk about traveling north (up) to a lower elevation (down) or the reverse. Also, while "off" typically means "deactivated", "going off" can mean "activated", such as an alarm going off typically meaning that the alarm is making noise.

As a non-native english speaker, the typos can be very confusing. Like I thought british spelled it "ovrelook"

Also, "What's up?" means the same as "What's going down?"

4:19 ‘Write down’ is “opschrijven’ (write up) in Dutch. We also have ‘onderschrijven’ (write down), but that means: write your signature under a text. I believe it’s the same in German.

Downtown and uptown sometimes mean the same thing, depending on the town. In a place like Manhattan, uptown seems to mean further up the Hudson River, and downtown is the opposite. In most places I’ve lived, downtown means the central business district - and if you say you’re going uptown, people will assume you mean the same thing.

"The alarm went off", means the alarm started. "The alarm went off", means the alarm stopped.

Another example is "slow up" and "slow down," both of which mean to go slower. (Strange that "speed up" and "speed down" mean the opposite of each other.)

I'm not a native speaker and I've come across both sentences. I've never found anything wrong with them, but that may be just me and my approach to the language, as I believe that native English speakers have a relatively thin grasp on it, making it so that it's easier than in other languages for words to change meaning or mutate in form, not to mention that slang itself is a world on its own, so just by having slang born in places far apart some day coming into contact, it's not weird for things like that to happen.

I'm with you on the minor difference. I'd say it's kind of like the difference between being willing to do a thing and wanting to do a thing. Right now, I'd be up for pizza (my wife's choice) but I'd be down for whipping up some stir fry (my choice, but we don't have the ingredients and I don't feel like going shopping and it's her turn to pick so we're going with pizza).

"Slow up" and "slow down" would be another example where they're meaning the same thing! Also, "Turn the A/C up/down" can be used to mean "make it colder in here," I know I've used both.

In Afrikaans we have ja/nee. Literally translated it means yes/no, and used separately it's got the same uses as the English counterparts. But as a combo, it's an oxymoron. It can mean both "to agree" as well as "to disagree". Or more appropriately "agree to disagree".

Get up come on get down with the sickness

"I'm up for it" i want to do it "I'm down for it" i want to do it Plz explain

What about Hot & Cool? i.e. “She’s hot, He’s cool. He’s hot, She’s cool.” Both are positives.

Man, the parachute was where it was at

Much like your earlier example(s), being “up” for something pertains to, well, getting up & even moving around. While being “down” would imply that you’re going to stay where you generally are currently &, eventually, sitting/laying down for whatever you’re down for…

I always associated the phrase “down for it” originating from getting on the dancefloor. Such as doing the twist where you’re wiggling in a downwards direction. Likewise, with the phrase “up for it” I always assumed had a slightly sexual connotation regarding a gentleman’s “agreement” Although now I’m writing it, I’m think I’m probably way off. But still, that’s always what sprung to mind with me.

Yes those parashoots are amazing

My favorite example is the difference between the phrase "The future is before us" and "The future is ahead of us", especially because before usually means the exact opposite.

Yes, we do still play with the parachute at school.

I think “nonplussed” is also a contronym

To my mind (I'm a UK baby boomer) you are "up for" something that is being planned but is not yet definite, while you are "down for" something definite that you are already committed to.

Do you prefer up for it or down for it?

Re Ovrelook yeah. I was watching thinking "I don't need to comment. Someone won't be able to resist. Now I can't resist commenting on your sly side reference. Thanks for making me smile

I remember playing with a large parachute with my class in PE....a full decade before you.

I have always heard and used “up for it” to mean can you handle it? Like if someone had been sick for awhile and you were planning to go do something together you might ask “are you sure your up for it?” Or they might say “I don’t think I’m feeling up to it today.”

In Icelandic we speak of going "uppeftir" or going "niðreftir" but that is more about where we are going to travel... downtown (where the harbour is) or up the hill... we also speak of going "úteftir" where there is no hill to travel... (upp is up, niður is down, út is out) eftir is "after"

"Consulted" is its own opposite. "I consulted a lawyer." "I consulted a client."

Also when giving directions, you can say that something is "down/up" the road. Both mean the same.

The word "cleave" is its own antonym. In the Bible, man is to cleave to his wife, as in join. The dictionary defines "cleave" as to split, using firewood as an example.

I'm down on my uppers, so I'm going up on the Downs to see if I can get down from a duck while I'm swan upping.

Similar idea to the up and down reference you made. Most places I have been when giving directions it's up for North and down for South. I'm from West Virginia which is known for it's mountains. Here we use up and down in terms of elevation. So you would go down to Huntington (to the west side of the state) and up to Princeton which is to the south east of the state. Huntington is in the valley, Princeton is in the mountains. Something I thought you'd find interesting.

If you get called to your child's school, you could say "I'm coming up to the school" or "I'm heading down to the school". Both of which mean they'll expect you soon.

I'm surprised you didn't talk about the contronym "off" in this video. If an alarm goes off (activates), someone has to turn it off (deactivate it). Yes, I got that one from Vsauce but it's still a pretty cool example that you overlooked in this video. I'm down for watching another video of yours!

When an athlete’s contract is ending, they can either “resign” (sign a new contract) or “resign” (retire from the game).

There is another way up and down can mean the same thing. You can say "theres a tree up by the corner store," and "theres a tree down by the corner store" and it would both mean pretty much the same thing.

Up for something, to me, implies that you want to do it but also are physically “up” to it. More like you are able to and kind of want to. Whereas down for something is something you really want to do

You can suck something through a straw, or blow something through it. These are opposites. However, if you think something is lame, you can say "This sucks" or "This blows" and mean the same thing.

Another contronym is the verb "trim." Usually, it means to remove something, but it can also mean to add something, as when one trims a Christmas tree.

This is one of the things that made learning english incredibly confusing

In German we have "umfahren", which depending if you place emphasis on the u or the a can mesn "to drive around something/to bypass" or "to run over (with a vehicle)"

9:12 "Seriously, don't get too upset about typos. It's not worth it" I'm up/down for that, also I'm stealing that sentence and will say it to those internet grammar police officers

If i inform my work that i won't be in that day i call in sick or just called in. I've also heard people say called out.

I once had a teacher say “put your phones up” to mean “put your phones away”. Does anyone know where this use of up comes from?

Something can be "based on" or "based off" something, though the latter is often extended to "based off of" and seen as more informal.

Non native here. I think "up for it" feels like volunteering to do so while "down for it" is like guaranteed, eagerly to do so.

An unboned chicken can have its bones, or not. "Scan" means to read thoroughly, catching everything, but is often used oppositely, to skim. "Up" means north on most maps, but Uptown in Minneapolis is south of downtown.

The music that defined my childhood was Popcorn by Gershon Kingsley. 😵‍💫

The phrase "God knows" seems to be a contronym. It could mean that only God knows the answer (eg "God knows what's going on over there" means it's a mystery). The other meaning (which I think makes less sense) is everyone, including God knows (eg "God knows I've tried" means that it is clear to be seen).

I want to vote "shit" as a contranym. It can mean that things is " the shit. " Or it's simply shit. It's shitty. But it can also be "no shit". Shit's everywhere.

my bio teacher said that only in science you will hear "multiply" and "divide" mean the same thing

7:56 I think the version with "could" could be justified by saying that it's using meiosis: an understatement for emphasis. Another justification could be that it's letting a bit of honesty in by acknowledging that the version with "couldn't" would often be an exaggeration, since you mean you care very little rather than meaning literally that the care is literally 0 and couldn't be any less.

“famous” and “infamous” still bother me to this day since I learnt about their coexistence.

I thought you were going to talk about up and down as in “up/down the road” which are used to mean the same thing. This is particularly strange because they are both specific directional words being used to refer to both being used interchangeably for a short distance away but with no indication of the actual direction, unless you are on a hill or something.

Getting up from the table is the same as getting down from the table as well

A teacher catches you doing something wrong in the hallway. You tell her "Do not write the incident down for me please." So she writes you up for the incident.

I didn't even know that "could care less" was not wrong to say!

They also mean the same thing when referring to travelling somewhere, like “I’m going up to the shops” or “I’m going down to the shops”

Word Crimes by Weird Al has a line about I could care less (that means you do care.)

The contronym I thought of immediately is "off". Like "the alarm went off" and "I turned the light off".

In Latin there is that word altus. It can either mean high or deep. It’s about the altitude difference.

One funny thing I noticed studying German lately was that the translation of "sleep in " is "ausschlafen". Schlafen is sleep, but aus translates as out, or out of. So in German, you don't sleep in, you sleep out.

When I see «priceless», I understand it as being so pricey that attributing a price for it becomes meaningless. So, priceless >> pricey.

Kind of like how you could travel north or south on the up (train) line (the line to London)

The word invaluable always confused be because to me it sounded like no value where it actually means it’s so valuable that the value can’t be measured.

You can also fill _out_ a form or fill _in_ a form.

I think "down for that" is from musical slang. Musicians would say let's get down" meaning "down to work at making music", then if someone was playing well they would say "he's gettin' down". Ref. Kool and the Gang - Get Down on It (1981). Ironically, it's quite up-beat :-)

Up and down can also be the same in "to put down something" or "to put up something".

I live in a bungalow & when you say up the house or down the house they kinda change around. Down the house can mean the area with the kitchen, Living rooms & the back door & garage. But it can also refer to the bedrooms & toilet. The Middle room is kinda the cutting point. But Up the house or down the house just means the other region of the house like if its kinda split by the middle room. I feel like this doesn't happen as much in houses with 2 floors but you're more likely to say upstairs so up the house or down the house can be used. Odd phrases no Idea how common it is but you hear it a good amount in the area of Northern Ireland I live which is the regions around Belfast to the Aquarium. & then down Patrick & the rest of down. Edit: on the up for it down for it thing I feel like they have different contexts. Like are you up for it is more likely used after you are feeling bad or something as its more like asking are you okay to continue. Whilst are you down for it means basically do you want to come. I think the down one is used less from where I live as writing it feels odd. Its like it means nothing substantial to me. Language is odd in that way.

One I am familiar with is the Spanish Flamenco culture where they tend to hold the acoustic guitar more vertically than other players. In that position, to get a shorter string for a "higher" note the player moves the fretting hand "lower". Thus if a cantaor/a (vocalist) wants the guitarist to go *down* to a lower key, they will tell him to go *up* .

7:08 I believe the word is auto-antonym

Allegedly Aloha means both hello and goodbye.

Maybe started from the dance phrase “get on down” as something positive or fun to do. Hay do you have video for “sick” or “fire”…

Oversight is one funny word...

Catalan has a pretty curious contronym in "hoste", which means both host and guest. It also means flight assistant, but that one is probably derived from the "host" meaning.

In terms of contronyms, German has the ultimate example in "umFAHREN" (driving around someone) and "UMfahren" (driving someone over) 😂 only distinct by emphasis.

sleepy and sleepless basically means the same thing.

Pretty sure James Brown has asked, well maybe told us to "Get on up!" and "Get on down!" for ages, lol.

well there could be an argument made that the "down" of "something moving down" and "i am down for that" are just homonyms and not actually the same word and through sheer coincidence did the oposite of one of the meanings also get a homonym that means the same as it's opposites homonym. after all in the up down case do they not have a spacial meaning when used to show willingness

In the late 20th century, bad often meant good. I'm surprised it didn't make the list, unless you were going for usages that were a bit more formal and less colloquial.

In Swiss German, if you get surprised by something, you may say "Jo nei!" which litterally translates to "Yes No!" 😄

Flammable and inflammable: I suggested to my Filipina wife that flammable comes from “flame” and inflammable comes “inflame.” Wouldn’t be surprised if I were wrong 😂

Well, there's no up and down in space also if you on on the opposite side of the planet you're personal up and down changes.

Well here are two sentences that mean the same. I’m going up to London tomorrow. I’m going down to London tomorrow.

9:06 I Overlocked the typo you did

FAST. The horse is fast because he can run. The dye is fast because it doesn’t run. Or perhaps because it’s been tied fast. 😂

Gotta love the English language, it has quite a lot of these little quirks...or should that be quite a few?? 😂

How about when it depends on where you are. Unless I’m mistaken, to table something, has opposite meaning depending on the side of the pond.

"Tied up" and "tied down" can also mean the same thing but I'm not sure if "tied down" can be used metaphorically the same way "tied up" can.

Slang add to this in American English "bad" and "wicked" can also mean "good".

there is fat chance and slim chance off the top of my head

I never thought about those words in this specific phrase before, but since you asked about 'up' and 'down' in other languages, the answer is no, because they lack a simple term for the concept (which must make elementary physics needlessly complex). For example, the French equivalent of 'up' translates to 'in high' whilst the direct meanings of words for 'down' include: 'in low', 'to floor', 'towards under' and even 'deeper'. German has borrowed the word down straight from English... but only in the sense of "depressed"!

I genuinely believe that MCR's "Teenagers" really helped spread the incorrect "could care less." Gerard Way has since said they accidentally used the wrong one because he thought that was the phrase.

They really aren't completely synonyms in this context, though. To be "up for" something means you want to do that thing (or whatever involves that thing), while to be "down with" something (I've never heard it as "down for") means you approve of that activity. There's overlap there, but not a one-to-one. But other pairings that can fit as antiautonyms can easily be seen in slang. I can think of "cool" and "hot" both being positive attributes to call somebody (but even less of the same context, I know) and there's also how "bad" can mean "good".

"Close up" and "close down."