Monday, November 24, 2008

random thoughts

i am haunted still by David Sedaris’ uncanny Billie Holiday impression.

have you ever heard of anything being “canny”?

John Legend is sexy, both in voice and body.

4 comments:

walkinhomefromthethriftstore said...

I have in fact heard of things described as being canny. Usually it's someone's "canny imitation" of someone else.

atomic cate said...

but an imitation is "UNcanny."

anyway, i looked them both up. they are both words, but 'uncanny' is not the opposite of 'canny'.

canny: clever, shrewd, prudent, careful, restrained... etc.

uncanny: seeming to have a supernatural character or origin - eerie, mysterious, weird -- being beyond what is normal or expected, suggesting superhuman or supernatural powers.

Oh, English Language! You so silly!

walkinhomefromthethriftstore said...

Nuh uh, an imitation can be "canny".

atomic cate said...

i think that may be a common misuse of canny v. uncanny... like a less obvious 'irregardless' (because canny is actually a word, irregardless isn't).