Just as silly are the many ways we describe the act itself. Just think of all the euphemisms we’ve come up with for the room where we relieve ourselves! The toilet is nearest the truth, but how often do we instead visit the necessary, lavatory, john, water closet, or restroom? The homicide rate is so much easier to contemplate than the murder rate. Similarly, we avoid using the words kill or murder, replacing them instead with bump/ knock off, dispatch, execute, liquidate, or neutralize. It is so painful to acknowledge that someone we love has died that we say instead that s/he “passed on/away,” “met his/her maker,” “went home/to be with the Lord,” or was “laid to rest.” We also avoid describing the person as dead by referring to them as the departed, dearly beloved, or late (as in “my late mother”). Many euphemisms surround the topic of death. They act as a social code that may be thought of as “oil in the wheels of society, allowing us to discuss…matters that are too hurtful or shaming to be spoken of directly (Michael Quinion, ).” They “cover up the facts of life-of sex and reproduction and excretion-which inevitably remind even the most refined people that they are made of clay, or worse” (Hugh Rawson, Dictionary of Euphemisms (1981). But interrogation? No problem, whether enhanced or not.ĭeriving from the Greek, euphemism literally means “good word” or “good speaking”-the opposite of blasphemy, or “evil speaking.” Some believe it is named after Eupheme, nurse to the muses in Greek mythology-giving it a connotation of healing.įrom “pre-owned vehicle” (used car) to “love handle” (fat roll), we use euphemisms every day without thinking. The United States doesn’t use torture-that would violate international law. It might be difficult to send our children off to take tests in trailers, but assessments in learning cottages? Not so bad. Euphemisms soften an unpleasant or offensive truth by substituting a more acceptable, usually indirect, alternative. These party-goers were accomplished users of euphemisms, that is, words or phrases that substitute a positive concept for a negative one.Ī euphemism is a specialized use of metaphor-comparing alcohol to a condiment, for example-that serves either to avoid offending, or to outright dupe, our listeners. Not feeling in the mood for politics, I excused myself to go to the powder room. “If we used some ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ on those not-Russian soldiers, they’d spill the beans fast enough!” “That so-called ‘military exercise’ was nothing but a flat-out invasion!” “What do you think of the situation in Ukraine?” a man in a nearby group was asking. “Don’t you mean assessments?” she asked with a laugh. “This month has been nothing but tests and more tests.” “Actually, I’m in one of the learning cottages-they call me Queen of the Double Wide,” I joked. “No kidding, I used to teach there myself! Which classroom are you in?” she asked. “Welcome to the neighborhood,” one guest greeted me. “Thank you so much for including me in your festivities,” I replied, and accepting the glass he handed me, headed into the living room to join the conversation. “All except my wife-she’s got a bun in the oven, so she’s on the wagon, bless her heart.” His wife, filling trays of hors-d’oeuvres nearby, looked daggers at him. “Come right in, can I get you a long tall one? Most of us are hitting the sauce, you know, tying one on, getting sloshed.” he chortled, winking broadly. “Welcome to our castle!” he sang out as he pumped my arm in a vigorous handshake. As I entered the modest, one-story ranch, I was greeted by my host. So last night, I was invited to a party to meet my new neighbors. It is a “handyman’s delight”-which is a nice way of saying it’s a dump that will require a lot of work to make it livable. Next month, I’ll be moving to a new house-or as my realtor would correct me, a new home.
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