Words for cutting, tasting and opposing

Odd one out. English rarely has two words that mean exactly the same. Finding the odd word teaches you how close words differ:

• chop, slice, mince are cutting with a knife; trim (cutting off a part, often with scissors) is the odd one;
• plodded, scrambled, trudged are slow or difficult movement; galloped (fast) is the odd one;
• tender, delicate, soft describe things easily damaged; smooth (about a surface) is the odd one;
• stared, peered, gazed are ways of looking; pecked (what birds do) is the odd one;
• growing, blossoming, progressing are natural growth; planting (something a person does) is the odd one.

Three ways of looking:

• stare: look fixedly;
• peer: look with difficulty, closely;
• gaze: look for a long time, usually with admiration.

Taste words:

• tamarind: sour, tangy;
• jaggery: sweet;
• neem leaves: bitter;
• paneer on its own: bland (tasteless), which is why it soaks up spices;
• lemon: sour;
• pickle: tangy and spicy.

And Rakesh's cherries: 'a little sweet, a little sour'.

Opposites (antonyms) from the story:

• tender ↔ hard;
• sturdy ↔ shaky;
• narrow ↔ wide;
• warmth ↔ coldness;
• feasting ↔ fasting;
• grumpy ↔ cheerful;
• sheltered ↔ unprotected;
• special ↔ ordinary (the very question Rakesh asks at the end).