III. Say why the italicized synonyms in the examples given below are not interchangeable.
a) The little boys stood glaring at each other ready to start a fight, b) The Greek myth runs that Narcissus gazed at his own reflection in the water until he fell in love with it and died. 2. a) She is a very pretty American girl of twenty-two, with fair hair and blue eyes.
1 A. Gandelstnan. English Synonyms Explained and Illustrated. M., 1963; G. Crabb. English Synonyms. H. Y. Grosset and Dunlap, 1945; N. Webster. Webster's Synonyms, Antonyms and Homonyms. N.Y., 1962;Ю. Д. Апресян, В. В. Ботякова, Т. Э. Латышева и др. Англо-русский синонимический словарь. М., 1979.
IV. Within the following synonymic groups single out words with emotive connotations.
1. Fear— terror— horror. 2. look— stare — glare — gaze — glance. 3. love — admire — adore — worship. 4. alone — single — solitary — lonely. 5. tremble — shiver — shudder — shake. 6. wish — desire — yearn — long.
V. Identify the stylistic connotations for the following italicized words in the jokes given below and write their synonyms with other stylistic connotations.
"I must say these are fine biscuits!" exclaimed the young husband. "How could you say those are fine biscuits?" inquired the young wife's mother, in a private interview. "I didn't say they were fine. I merely said I must say so."
"Willie," said his mother, "I wish you would run across the street and see how old Mrs. Brown is this morning." "Yes'm," replied Willie and a few minutes later he returned and reported: "Mrs. Brown says it's none of your business how old she is."
3. "Yes, she's married to a real-estate agent and a good, honest fellow, too."
"My gracious! Bigamy?"
4. W i 11 i e: Won't your pa spank you for staying out so late?
T o m m y (whose father is a lawyer): No, I'll get an injunction from ma postponing the spanking, and then I'll appeal to grandma and she'll have it made permanent.
A man entered the bar and called for "a Marti-nus". The barman observed as he picked up a glass, "You mean Martini, sir!" "No, indeed I don't," the man replied. "I was taught Latin properly and I only want one."
A foreigner was relating his experience in studying the English language. He said: "When I first discovered that if I was quick I was fast; that if I was tied I was fast; and that not to eat was fast, I was discouraged. But when I came across the sentence, 'The first one won one-dollar prize' I gave up trying."
J a n e: Would you be insulted if that good-looking stranger offered you some champagne?
J o a n: Yes, but I'd probably swallow the insult.
Lecture 12. Euphemisms. Antonyms Exercises
I. Find the dominant synonym in the following groups of synonyms. Explain your choice.
1. to glimmer — to glisten — to blaze — to shine — to sparkle— to flash— to gleam. 2. to glare— to gaze — to peep — to look — to stare — to glance. 3. to astound — to surprise — to amaze — to puzzle — to astonish. 4. strange — quaint — odd — queer. 5. to saunter — to stroll — to wander — to walk — to roam. 6. scent — perfume — smell — odour — aroma. 7. to brood— to reflect— to meditate— to think. 8. to fabricate — to manufacture — to produce — to create — to make. 9. furious — enraged — angry. 10. to sob — to weep — to cry.