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Examples
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At the same time, the janus-faced Lead India/Bleed India campaign by The Times of India has incited mixed reactions.
Global Voices in English » India’s First Digital Elections Evoke Strong Reactions Online 2009
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I think the only thing worse than an anti-semite is a janus-faced anti-semite, which is what his article emphatically amounts to.
On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with... 2008
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Christian arguments thus both form the core of many modern justifications of toleration and yet are janus-faced, always bound by the superior aim to serve the true faith.
Toleration Forst, Rainer 2007
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Fir-bolgic cycle, a cycle janus-faced, looking on one side to the mythological period and the wars of the gods, and on the other, to the heroic, and more particularly to the Ultonian cycle.
Early Bardic Literature, Ireland. Standish O'Grady 1887
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One reason why Labour has struggled to craft a simple message of opposition, besides the party's introspective absorption in a leadership contest, is that the government it confronts is janus-faced.
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The janus-faced narrative of nationbuilding has taken over everything that is sacred.
Drishtipat Writers' Collective dpwriters 2010
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Mr McHale's "lighting rod" behaviour has consisted of publicizing the janus-faced policing of Caledonia.
Home 2010
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Not much of a choice for voters: Either gun-ho John or janus-faced, messianic Obama.
whichbe commented on the word janus-faced
Having two contrasting aspects. The name of the Roman god Janus comes from Latin ianua, an entrance gate. He was the god of doorways and gateways; as doors can be passed in either direction, he came to represent both the past and the future. Because of that, his image was of a man with two faces, looking both forwards and backwards. The Romans always put Janus first in prayers, because in particular he symbolised beginnings. But he could also represent success or failure, especially in war. He was the god of January, whose name comes from him (in Latin Januarius (mensis), the month of Janus), which had become the first month of the Roman calendar probably some time in the second century BCE. A person who is Janus-faced has two contrasting aspects and in particular is two-faced or deceitful. Israel Zangwill wrote a century ago that "Life is Janus-faced, and the humourist invests his characters with a double mask; they stand for comedy as well as for tragedy." A Janus-faced word is a contronym, a word like cleave that has two opposing meanings.
(from World Wide Words)
May 21, 2008