A-Z Queer

Words like "queer" go through meaning changes as much as street names change in Ohio.

If you live in Dayton you know what I'm talking about. Very often if you turn one direction you call the road 'by one name' and when you turn the other direction it is called by another name. It's fine when you get used to it, and everyone knows where you're talking about, but trust me..it's tough when you move here and street names that you don't recognize are thrown at you. I'd like to add that I didn't live here when the  'old KMart' was around so ...no, I don't know where you are talking about!

Back to changing words. So many words have a lifetime of meaning change. It used to drive me crazy when my mom said "I'm all fagged out". To me that was disgusting of her to say. I didn't understand how she didn't know the correct meaning of the word fag. How could she not? It wasn't until about twenty years ago when I was browsing in an antique store and came across a poster advertising a "fag". It was then that I researched the word and found out that a 'fag' in Europe is a cigarette. Well, now I had another reason to be upset with my mom....she was referring all these years as being worn out from smoking too much! eeeyyyyeeewww! Gross!

There's another one. Gross is another word for big. I'm sure you know the other meaning.

'Gay profusion' is found in one of my student's songs. It's talking about a lot of brightly colored red ribbons strewn on a bed found unexpectedly. We changed the words for the performance because..she just couldn't see the meaning of, much less pronounce it.

So, what are the words that have double meanings or changing meanings that you've come across?