Opposite Day

This article is about the game. For the 2009 comedy film, see Opposite Day (film). For the parliamentary mechanism, see Opposition day.

Opposite Day, also known as Opposites Day is a word game where speech is modified so that meaning is inverted. Once Opposite Day is declared, statements mean the opposite of what they usually mean. Usually, a person would say, "After this phrase is over, it will be officially opposite day," and then Opposite Day will be officially started. Opposite Day can also be declared retroactively to indicate that the opposite meaning of what was said should be inferred. Opposite day games are usually played by schoolchildren.

In the sense that opposite day "excuses" untrue statements, it is similar to the notion that crossed fingers automatically nullify promises. Play has been compared to a children's "philosophy course",^[1] and the game has been used as an educational aid and suggested as preparation for "standardized testing".

It must be noted, however, that the sentence "Today is opposite day" is in fact a paradox, similar to the Liar Paradox. If the statement is true, then it is opposite day. But since it is opposite day, the statement "Today is opposite day" can be interpreted as "Today is not opposite day" which is implied to also be true. Hence, a paradox exists and one is forced to conclude that it is not opposite day.

Opposite Day in popular culture

• In Bill Watterson's comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, Opposite Day was the gag of one Sunday strip. When a bee stung Calvin because Hobbes did not say there was a bee on account of it being Opposite Day, Calvin chased Hobbes up a tree with a baseball bat. When Hobbes said that Opposite Day ends at midnight, an angry and vigilant Calvin replies "Yes".
• A 1999 episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, called "Opposite Day", featured Squidward's attempted use of Opposite Day to make sure he gets SpongeBob out of the way in a failing attempt to move.
• A Whitest Kids U' Know sketch called "Opposite Day Lawyer" features the lawyer of a hopelessly guilty murder suspect declaring Opposite Day just before the jury goes to deliberate.
• In the 2007 American Dad! episode "I Can't Stan You", Steve's letter to Roger references Opposite Day when Steve tricks Roger leaving him stranded in Mexico.
• Homer makes a reference to Opposite Day in an episode of The Simpsons titled "The Wife Aquatic".
• In an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy titled "Opposite Day", Billy and Mandy trick Grim into doing all their chores declaring that it's opposite day, in the end Mandy reveals that when she said it was opposite day, the meaning was reversed, and Grim did those chores for nothing.
• In a 2009 episode of Robot Chicken titled "Dear Consumer", a character asks if it's Christmas Day or Opposite Day, and then cuts to a calendar with Monday, December 21 circled as Opposite Day, and Friday, December 25 circled as Christmas Day.
• In an episode of Jake and Amir titled "Ground Rule", Jake uses Opposite Day to make Amir do his bidding.
• Sketch comedy group, Derrick Comedy performed a sketch in which a company's boss takes opposite day a little too seriously; going so far as firing staff who do not participate.

References

1. ^ Shelton, Sandi Kahn (2001). Preschool Confidential. Macmillan. pp. 232–234. ISBN 9780312254582.