weird words
there are several words and expressions in English that when I heard them for the first time, long time ago, and did not know what they meant, I sort of guessed, wrongly, just by the sound of the word/expression, and by what other similar words meant. Then I learned their actual (surprising to me) meaning. But now every time I hear them my brain for the first second interprets them incorrectly, using those "first" meanings I ascribed to them. Then it takes me a second to correct myself in my head.
1) Ukulele. it always sounds me as a sort of a flute. but it is a small guitar. go figure.
2) Vulture. of course it is a relative of "wolf". so must be a type of hyena or something. nope, a bird.
3 ) "Double down". It has "down" in it so obviously it is "to decrease". But apparently it comes from poker so it means to double the bet, i.e. to dramatically increase something. Weird words.
1) Ukulele. it always sounds me as a sort of a flute. but it is a small guitar. go figure.
2) Vulture. of course it is a relative of "wolf". so must be a type of hyena or something. nope, a bird.
3 ) "Double down". It has "down" in it so obviously it is "to decrease". But apparently it comes from poker so it means to double the bet, i.e. to dramatically increase something. Weird words.