Auto-what?

I enjoy What's in Rebecca's Pocket? for her little tidbits of data and opinion. She's easy and interesting reading with a world of other outlets where she puts more substance.

Her post a few days ago was a usual sort: Words that are their own antonym with a link to fun-with-words. "Auto-antonym has Greek roots meaning a word that is the opposite of itself."

Here are a couple of the examples given:

bound adj./verb

• restrained (e.g. by rope) • to spring; leap

clip verb

• to fasten together; hold tightly • to cut apart; cut off (e.g. with shears)

custom adjective

• usual; normal • special; unique

fast adverb

• fixed firmly in place • moving quickly; speedy

It's a fun list; stuff you knew and perhaps you didn't realize.

But, there's always a but, then came...

impregnable adjective

• impossible to enter (e.g. of a fortress) • able to be impregnated

A.true.light.bulb.moment.

Not only am I am libidinous, infertile oxymoron of a mother, I am an auto-antonym. Impregnable is the single most accurate word to describe secondary infertility. Years ago, I was once able to be impregnated, then my eggs became impossible to enter. I am a fortress now, shut up tight, a bastion of aging infertility.

Impregnable

i-m-p-r-e-g-n-a-b-l-e

im·preg·na·ble

(m-prgn-bl)

[Middle English imprenable, from Old French : in-, not (from Latin in-. See in-¹) + prenable, pregnauble, pregnable; see pregnable.]

[impregn(ate) + -able.]


I should add it to my byline:
I'm an oxymoron: an impregnable, libidinous, infertile mom

It makes me sound more smart and less horny. So maybe I won't. One shouldn't lie in one's byline. And I fear the term, auto-erotic-antonymism, might be a bit misleading. My asthmatic lungs like air too much.

Sigh.

Continuing through the alphabetical auto-antonym list, more apply. I realized this word describes aptly how I (used to?) vacillate about achieving pregnancy ad nauseum:

resign verb

• to quit; give up • to sign up again

Guess! Which one is it today? Blame, that's an easy question.

It goes without saying which one of the following I usually am anymore, excepting Friday's sledding (into trees) generosity:

sanguine adjective

• murderous • cheerfully optimistic

Actually, come to think of it, the sled gesture is at the height of pleasant tree-wrapping, storage-lacking auto-antonymism. I guess I am -nymy good these days.

I'll simply finish with this one:

wind up verb

• to start; prepare • to end; conclude

Or I'll begin again and ask which of the list tickles your funny bone the most?