Words That Don't Mean What I Thought

Chicanery. I thought this meant something good, like “I’ve got your back” or rapport but it does not.

cheating or deception: deception or trickery, especially by the clever manipulation of language deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry : trickery 

Hmmm…. I would say that my kids know the art of chicanery. Of course, mom knows when her kiddos are trying to pull the wool over her eyes so hopefully they will move on to more endearing things like integrity and veracity.

Sophistry.  I had never seen this word before today (when looking up “chicanery” but it looks pretty and immediately I thought “sophisticated artistry” but “crafty” (and not like Martha Stewart) is more like it:

flawed method of argumentation: a method of argumentation that seems clever but is actually flawed or dishonest 

Again, my children think they are being clever with their sophistry but really they are being sophomoric...

Do you know any words that sound positive or pretty (or negative and ugly) but mean something very different?

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