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In use: "Fucking hell, this is a shambles, pardon my French". It's a mangled apology for swearing.
This article is well written, and certainly deserves a higher rating. 58.174.49.225 ( talk) 06:29, 25 October 2009 (UTC)
Am I missing something? I don't think terms like "croak" are euphemisms—in fact I'd say they're dysphemisms. One would sooner say "My beloved uncle died Thursday" than "My beloved uncle croaked Thursday. — Casey J. Morris 23:55, Jun 26, 2005 (UTC)
I would propose that the word "deceased" isn't really a euphemism. I come across the word very frequently when referring to dead people in an official context. On the other hand, it is used as a noun ("the deceased") rather than a verb or adjective. 194.176.105.35 22:37, 18 January 2007 (UTC)
ish push! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.231.134.164 ( talk) 03:02, 14 October 2008 (UTC)
I'd probably consider 'passed away' a euphemism. Also, would 'pounded', 'banged', or 'nailed' be a dysphemism for 'fucked'? 24.80.64.96 08:10, 27 February 2010 (UTC)
[ 11 May, 2005;
Liberty ] Re: "The converse of a euphemism is a dyslogism." Is this really true?
Isn't the opposite of a dyslogism a eulogism (eulogy)? Wouldn't the converse of 'euphemism' be a "dysphemism"? (or a phemism-eu?)
Unless this point can be defended, I'm going to remove this statement.
(It seems like the author might have some other reason for posting that there than just defining 'euphemism'.)
Even if defensible, does it belong at the top of the article? We already have the section that states "There are three antonyms of euphemism, dysphemism, cacophemism, and power word. The first can be either offensive or merely humorously deprecating with the second one generally used more often in the sense of something deliberately offensive. The last is used mainly in arguments to make one's point seem more correct than opponent's."
[ 26 Jun 2005;
Liberty ] Removing
"The converse of a euphemism is a dyslogism, literally 'bad-speech' or 'bad-reason (logic)'."
No one responded to my note, above, and this dubious claim is not directly relevant to the summary description of what a "euphemism" is.
This article claims that "euphemism" is the "opposite" of "minced oath" (and likewise the article for minced oath makes the same claim), yet it gives minced oaths as examples of euphemisms lower down. 198.145.97.68 05:01, 16 September 2007 (UTC)
List of euphemisms is linked 3 times in the article. Don't you think it's too much? DMTsurel 15:50, 14 Jun 2005 (UTC)
The following item occurs in the list of common examples:
But isn't "sexual intercourse" itself a euphemism for the original Anglo-Saxon "fuck"? I suspect it is, but I have no actual data to support this. Any linguists out there with some knowledge of the origin of this expression? I think this is also an example of the dysphemism treadmill, as "intercourse" by itself is almost never used outside the context of sex. But, that was not the original meaning of the word (isn't the original meaning something like "conversation"?). Anyway, I think it might be a particularly interesting example, as the sexual usage has become so entrenched (at least here in the US) that many people might not realize that the word had non-sexual origins. Gwimpey 06:11, 31 October 2005 (UTC)
Umm... forgive my ignorance, but what is " "?
As a non-native speaker, I must ask: how about the prevalent "congress", as listed in the Kama Sutra? Euphemism or not? Demf 15:18, 7 August 2006 (UTC)
"If this question is asked in Europe to someone not used to American habits the person who asks the question might actually end up at a place where there just only is a washbasin and not at a place equipped according to their needs."
I think this is questionable. I'm an American, and if someone asked me "where can I wash my hands" I wouldn't assume they're looking for a toilet, although that is the most likely place for someone to be able to wash their hands. -- 68.80.78.11 06:59, 6 November 2005 (UTC)
Bathroom was replace by rest room? I would venture that the term bathroom is much more common in American English usage for any type of toilet, and almost exclusive when referring to one in a home.
I don't think this fits.
One definition of euphemism is:
Another is:
The use of the phrase "holiday season" for "Christmas" may well be offensive to some Christians, but that does not make it a "euphemism." Few people see anything harsh, blunt, offensive, or unpleasant about Christmas. The "holiday season" is understood to include Christmas; it is not a verbal pretense that there is no Christmas. Dpbsmith (talk) 23:50, 30 December 2005 (UTC)
This article says "berk is short for Berkshire Hunt". But the Berk article says, "it is a shortened version of Berkeley Hunt". This should be reconciled.
Incidentally, both explanations are slightly surprising, since I would pronounce the word "berk" to rhyme with "lurk", but when contained in "Berkshire" or "Berkeley" I would pronounce it to rhyme with "lark".
Is it really necessary? I wonder if it's overkill.
Also, do most people pronounce "berk" to rhyme with "lark" or to rhyme with "lurk"? Do British rhyme it with "lark" or "lurk"?
It is entirely disgusting to use this quote, very inappropiate! Where are your standards?
In the UK both "Berkshire" and "Berkeley" are pronounced Bark- in RP, but in some dialects far removed from those areas (such as Yorkshire) may be pronounced Burk-, or even Beark- in Scouse (Liverpool). "berk" the epithet is nevertheless pronounced "burk". It is originally a "Cockney", or Estuary English, usage, so the pronunciation might be expected to reflect London circumstances. This might imply that it's origin is "Berkeley Hunt", because Berkeley (Gloucs.) would have been outside the home patch of the typical working-class Londoner at the time the expression probably arose, and hence pronounced incorrectly; whereas Berkshire is very much closer - indeed, all the native Londoners I know pronounce it "Bark-shire". Of course, we still refer to trip to Newbury as "visiting rural Berks", but that's different. 219.79.59.77 16:18, 3 February 2007 (UTC)
Contrary to popular opinion, the word "doublespeak" does _not_ occur in Orwell's "1984". The word he uses is "doublethink", the concept of holding two contradictory ideas simultaneously - the mental result of reading "doublespeak" literally, perhaps? I've removed the reference. Tevildo 16:08, 9 March 2006 (UTC)
What about the situation Bill Clinton found himself in when he came face to face with biographer, David Maraniss, who had basically trashed him. Clinton said "Nice Tie" which in the sophisticated business world means "fuck you". I didn't see where that euphemism fits into one of the existing categories.
Can someone verify the origin of "jerk?" The article claims that 'jerk' "began as 'jerk-off' (itself a reference to masturbation), in reference to someone who was boorish or stupid."
According to http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20010919, it is a shortened form of "jerkwater." This is also referenced at http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=jerk, although the "jerk-off" reference is mentioned as a possible influencer. I submit that the article should be changed. Sloppyedwards 03:39, 26 March 2006 (UTC)
I don't believe that the use of the term Americanism in this article is meant to be pejorative. The phrases "unique to the U.S." or "of U.S. origin" would be more clear. Indeed, these are the only terms indicating a specific origin, which makes it seem unbalanced. -- Macrowiz 17:29, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
Over the years I've come to interpret the term urban as being a euphemism for African-American, for example, the term "urban audiences" in movies. Obviously blacks aren't the only ones who live in cities and urban areas, however, the term does tend to refer specifically to African-Americans. Should there be a mention of this in the article? Wikichange 03:22, 28 August 2006 (UTC)
Nicholas Lemann ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Lemann) argues:
"Between 1910 and 1970m, six and a half million black Americans moved from the South to the North; five million of them moved after 1940, during the time of the mechanization of cotton farming. In 1970, when the migration ended, black America was only half Southern, and less than a quarter rural; "urban" had become a euphemism for "black." ( http://www.terry.uga.edu/~dawndba/4500PromisedLandI.html) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.142.112.108 ( talk) 00:06, 3 June 2008 (UTC)
The section titled "Doublespeak" needs cleanup. The definition given is imprecise, the example is poorly representative, and no information is given about (what I'm assuming, can anyone correct me on this) this term's origin. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 128.189.144.80 ( talk • contribs) .
One example in the "euphemism treadmill" section,
Shell shock → battle fatigue → Operational exhaustion → Post-traumatic stress disorder
May be a "euphemism treadmill" but it is also an attempt to more precisely describe what is going on. Part of the problem is that you had people coming back with stress disorder who had never been shelled. So superior officers would say, "He can't have 'shell shock' because he was never near a shell," and think the soldier was malingering. So they widened it to "battle fatigue", but it also turned up in people who hadn't (recently) been in a battle, just subjected to high risk week after week until adrenaline exhaustion set in and they "went crazy" a little. Hence the newer term "Post-traumatic stress disorder". Which has the major disadvantage of being polysyllabic (my objection to "African-American") and hence sounding like psycho-babble, but at least doesn't exclude people who genuinely have the problem but never were subjected to shelling or actual live fighting.
Comments from other contributors?
—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.130.255.230 ( talk • contribs) . 2203, 1 October 2006 (UTC)
The whole section needs to be overhauled. The phenomenon isn't properly defined, and the examples include one book in which it's mentioned as a concept but not used, and two which don't apply, as they aren't actual examples of phenomenon treadmill but regionalisms. PacificBoy 01:08, 27 May 2011 (UTC)
The section presents doublespeak as distinct from other euphemisms based on its use in large organizations (reasonable claim I suppose); but then it goes on to distinguish jargon. The material in support of this distinction is all based on the intent of the speaker. There are no structural, societal, or linguistic arguments to support the distinction. This makes the distinction between doublespeak and jargon appear highly subjective, arbitrary, and uninformative. Moreover, it can be argued that jargon is also subject to speaker intent, and misuse. Better support for this distinction requires some attention to structural or linguistic reasons for making a distinction (e.g., 'jargon' tends to be codified, whereas doublespeak is more colloquial), or *anything* more compelling than "doublespeak is intended to confuse people, whereas jargon only confuses them accidentally". drefty.mac 23:35, 27 October 2006 (UTC)
I always thought that "Doublespeak," inasmuch as it is related to "Doublethink" from Orwell's 1984, described the use of euphemisms that actually connote the exact opposite of the information they are being used to convey. Examples would be things like "pacification" for "military force," "funding cut" for "smaller-than-expected-funding increase", and "volunteered" for "compelled." -- Pusher robot 18:04, 22 November 2006 (UTC)
I also agree that "taking friendly fire" is not an example of doublespeak; it is actually an example of jargon, because "friendly" is a military jargon word for "ours or allied" and is used as a generic adjective in many other contexts; it's not trying to paint the shooting as loving and helpful. Fratricide is also not an exact synonym, because "friendly fire" is always accidental but fratricide may also be murder. -- Pusher robot 18:13, 22 November 2006 (UTC)
I'd like to propose that the "friendly fire" phrase be eliminated as an example of doublespeak. It's a poor example because it really doesn't obfuscate anything - it's meaning, while using jargon, is obvious. Pusher robot 02:26, 9 January 2007 (UTC)
Did the person who added this tag actually read the article? Or was the article changed after the tag was added without removing the tag? The section clearly states its sources, and it has an inline reference. Jerry lavoie 06:11, 4 January 2007 (UTC)
Quebecois french slang, in my opinion, is more noted for its blasphemous curse words, not religious euphemisms. I've heard "the man upstairs" et al. many times in English, but never anything like that in French, and I really can't think of any religious euphemisms off-hand. Anyone care to give me a few examples? Until then, I'll remove that sentence; I suspect whoever added that misunderstood the meaning of euphemism. -- jag123 04:18, 8 January 2007 (UTC)
It is more of a joke I think, and not really a euphemism. What do you think?-- Filll 21:46, 13 February 2007 (UTC)
It is more of a dysphemism, as it is intentionally insulting. I removed it from the euphemism treadmill section. I think that whoever added it lacked understanding of either the implications of the term or of the definition of euphemism. -- Fitzhugh 09:01, 21 February 2007 (UTC)
Perhaps the Bright movement should be included as its purpose is (quoting the article) "to provide a positive-sounding umbrella term, bright, to describe various types of people who have a naturalistic worldview, without casting that worldview as a negative response to religion (as the terms atheist, infidel or non-believer may be seen as doing)." -- Cory Kohn 21:36, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
You mean , sort of like the way poofters like to call themselves Gay? 85.210.149.65 11:53, 31 May 2007 (UTC)
Is there scope in this article to discuss the use of euphemisms as a form of Political Correctness ? 85.210.149.65 11:51, 31 May 2007 (UTC)
I suggest, (and this may not be correct) taking out some links. Not sure of most relevant policy, but those that just are to define a word are helpful, but not needed? Particularly, why do there need to be any links in the religion sub-section - the terms that get links are fairly common words, and the concepts are not central to the topic at hand. Although, if the content of the article changes rapidly, taking out links may leave none at all, its tricky. Just suggestion, look at this issue of links. Newbyguesses 00:39, 10 May 2007 (UTC)
There are two references to Gresham's law, but there is not really any relation. I suggest we remove the references. -- Apoc2400 04:50, 10 July 2007 (UTC)
I agree, there does not seem to be a connection. - Redmess ( talk) 11:03, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
Because these are becoming increasingly popular, nearly every normal job has a euphemism nowadays.
Examples:
Binman - waste removal officer Security guard - loss prevention officer Blacksmith - equine chiropodist Cashier - sales assistant
Those are just the few at the top of my head, but I'm sure there are loads and loads that people could add to the list, and someone could write a little section on when and why these came about. Just a suggestion, Alex9788 10:04, 21 August 2007 (UTC)
At the halls I lived in last year the cleaners were called 'Domestic Assistants' despite the job explicitly involved nothing but cleaning. Tomgreeny 18:41, 21 August 2007 (UTC)
Yeah, and that's just one of many, so do you reckon there should be a new section for it in the article? Alex9788 20:37, 21 August 2007 (UTC)
Go for it. Tomgreeny 17:19, 22 August 2007 (UTC)
Most of the entries in this section seem to be joke terms rather than actual job titles. Was that the intent? 64.171.162.77 01:21, 7 October 2007 (UTC)
No it wasn't the intent, and I did just take out 3 of them including 'carcass discombobulator', obviously not a real job title (feel free to prove me wrong). However, one must remember that many, even commonly used, euphemisms in job titles may appear jocular because they do over-inflate the importance of the job. (Not to say of course, that the jobs are unimportant.) Alex9788 16:10, 8 October 2007 (UTC)
Come on. Vision Clearance Engineer? Does this really exist as a job title? Can anybody verify it? Also, the note to expand this section is not necessary. Wikipedia articles are not dumping grounds for lists -- or a t least they shouldn't be. If there is a real desire for a longer list, I suggest creating a separate article for this list. Slithymatt 20:28, 8 November 2007 (UTC)
"Sandwich Artist" the OTT usage by SUBWAY to refer to their staff could be added? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 219.89.167.109 ( talk) 08:19, 16 December 2008 (UTC)
Hi. I noticed you take the meaning of "maldición" as being "bad word". It actually means "curse" (as used in "gipsy curse", for example). This can be clearly seen in the expression "maldito seas", which basically means "curse you". Whereas "maldito seas" usually goes against someone, "maldición" is usually expressed as a sign of distress directed at no one in particular, as is "¡mierda!" and similar expressions, although "mierda" is considered much more offensive - note that "maldición" is not usually considered a "bad word", although its use is discouraged in formal occasions.
There is, however, a fun fact: "puteada" is in certain dialects a dysphemism for "bad word". This varies greatly, though, as Spanish dialects are way too varied. For the record, I am from Argentina, and am familiar with the argentine dialect, but the chilean dialect is quite different when it comes to "bad words", and something you would find offensive in Mexico, for example, may not be so in Uruguay. 200.127.112.162 15:29, 10 October 2007 (UTC)
On a separate note, I would like to argue that the use of "maldición" in Spanish is similar to that of "Damn" (short for "Damnation") in English. As a result, there's no need to look for an example of this use in a different language if we have one in our own. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 137.222.91.179 ( talk) 16:45, 20 November 2007 (UTC)
In "The 'Euphemism Treadmill'" section is mention of a George Carlin routine, and the following pejoration sequence:
However, the 'pedia's own redirects and articles suggest that "shell shock", "battle fatigue", and "operational exhaustion" are acute disorders synonymous with " combat stress reaction". On the other hand, " PTSD" is a similar, but chronic, disorder synonymous with "traumatic war neurosis". I realize that Wikipedia is not a source for itself (and even contradicts itself in the articles on the two conditions I just linked to), so if anyone can clarify this it would be appreciated. - Tobogganoggin talk 09:38, 8 November 2007 (UTC)
Are the manure brands in this part of the text real brands? It sounds like a joke. This needs a lot of references. - Redmess ( talk) 09:47, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
The reference to Ferenc Gyurcsány and "his controversial speech that triggered the 2006 anti-government protests" is not contextualised. Who is he and which 2006 protests are being referenced? I realise there is a link and it's easy to find out the information, but surely inserting "Hungarian Prime Minister" before his name would be useful. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.142.112.108 ( talk) 23:53, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
Someone changed the wording to rub out the fact that "fag" really means "unmanly". It's as the ever-politically-incorrect George Carlin once said: "In my neighborhood, a fag was someone who wouldn't go downtown and help beat up queers." Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? 15:25, 30 July 2008 (UTC)
I think the explanation for the use of 'sucks' in American English is incorrect. While it has a sexual connotation to city dwellers, I'm pretty certain that use of 'sucks' as a description of a bad situation arose from the farm expression, "sucking hind teat". This refers to the runt of a litter being pushed out of the way by its larger siblings, and eventually being relegated to the last teat, which receives less milk than the others. I theorize this meaning pre-dates the sexual one in American society, but I'm not certain how to research this. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 199.201.227.100 ( talk) 16:44, 8 August 2008 (UTC)
The article says:
" Euthanasia" also attracts euphemisms. One may put one out of one’s misery, put one to sleep, or have one put down, the latter two phrases being used primarily with dogs and cats who have made their final visit to the veterinarian. (These terms are not usually applied to humans, because both medical ethics and civil law deprecate euthanasia.) In fact, Dr. Bernard Nathanson has pointed out that the word "euthanasia" itself is a euphemism, being Greek for "good death".
I don't think euthanasia is a euphemism. It means ‘good death’, i.e. a death that is more desirable than life (e.g. because of irremediable suffering), as distinguised from other words that mean death. It's not an inoffensive alternative to a more direct term; it is in fact the most direct term there is for the thing it describes — euthanasia. It's like saying that murder is a euphemism for ‘unlawful killing’.
I'm not 100% sure, though, so I won't delete it yet. BreakfastTime ( talk) 21:30, 22 August 2008 (UTC)
an euphemism for death penalty? it sounds so much nicer and cleaner
if so it should be addded
-- Stefanbcn ( talk) 13:38, 11 September 2008 (UTC)
Digital scatologist sounds more like a dysphemism to me. -- Urzică ( talk) 16:11, 18 February 2009 (UTC)
I've seen dozens of references to this phrase, and nearly all of them relate to an WWII policy of compensating British farmers (engaged in critical war work) for damage done to their property by friendly forces. A pilot who crashed into a field caused enough damage to net a large check, thus literally "buying" the farm. LordShonus ( talk) 11:17, 11 March 2009 (UTC)
I don't think "spastic" as an insult started with Joey Deacon on Blue Peter (1981 I think). I'm sure I heard it (or something obviously similar like "spazmo", usually accompanied by oncoordinated gestures and parodied speech), in the early 1970s if not the late 1960s. (i.e. in the playground in my own schooldays). The OED traces "spaz" to a 1965 US usage, but also cites it in a Martin Amis book of 1975: "Dead Babies viii. 47, I know how long, you little spaz." PeterBiddlecombe ( talk) 10:32, 16 March 2009 (UTC)
I think the bit about Tiger Woods as the different conotations of spastic and spaz in the UK and USA is a bit odd. Spastic/spaz as an insult in the UK has been used to mean clumsy, un-coordinated and physically incompetent, as well as suggesting stupidity, which seems to me pretty similar to the US, except that the US uses it more lightly, and more often directed towards the self. But characterising people who have cerebal palsy in that way is insensitive and unfair whether it is directed as an insult or in a self-deprecating way which is why it is considered so offensive. 87.114.227.184 ( talk) 14:53, 4 July 2012 (UTC)
There is an interesing source here that could eventually be added to a specialized article about sexual euphemisms. It talks about the words that were used to hide clerical pederasty. [2] ADM ( talk) 04:47, 30 April 2009 (UTC)
Content on so-called Dysphemism treadmill deleted this day due to lack of any reliable/authoritative cite, merely circular references to this Wikipedia article and others within Wikipedia employing it, and casual use by those evidently familiar with the term via same: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q=%22dysphemism+treadmill+%22&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=. Wikiuser100 ( talk) 16:26, 22 November 2009 (UTC)
Yet another advance, the use of "spesh", derived from special needs. Should be added? http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=spesh —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.156.31.79 ( talk) 13:02, 27 November 2010 (UTC)
There are millions of euphemisms, born every day, in all languages. I see no point to keep a random list of them, especiall keeping in mind that this is a long and detailed aritcle, with examples abound in the text. I suggest to dismantle this section: spread notable examples over the text and delete the rest. 20:06, 10 December 2010 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Loggerjack ( talk • contribs)
Currently, the article states:
Similarly, scientific or medical words which are in fact euphemisms in their original languages, such as " anus" (Latin: literally "ring"), " vagina" (Latin: literally "sheath"), or " pudendum", (literally "something which one must be modest about") are now considered generally unacceptable and should be replaced by other euphemisms in polite conversation. (end quote)
-- I don't think that is true at all. To the extent that the very topic of those body parts makes it into polite conversation, I have never experienced or heard of an instance where those particular words have been deemed offensive or not "sugar-coated" enough. Rather, it is the topic itself that is avoided. And I'm referring to "polite conversation" here -- not medical conversations, such as between doctors, where those words would surely be OK; nor "smack" talking or joking around where those words would be considered too tame.
(the above unsigned comment edited by 76.113.104.58 (talk) at 19:32, 23 December 2010).
The article claims that the term "blind people" excludes those with uncorrected poor vision. Doesn't legal blindness cover people with less than 10% of standard visual acuity? Perhaps "mild to moderate poor vision" might be a better example, leaving "blind" to mean severe to profound impairment in vision. -- Damian Yerrick ( talk | stalk) 13:31, 9 April 2011 (UTC)
I just removed a few sentence on "Jew", having found them misleading and poorly supported by the two given references. Notably, the first relied on the second, the second (contrary to the article) gave the impression that "Jew" was making a comeback after centuries as an "evil" word, and also that the main problem was in constructs like "Jew lawyer" rather than "a Jew" (while the article focused on the noun).
I have no objects to a reinsertion with better references or corresponding modifications. (But I do note that I have never, myself, considered the noun "Jew" to be derogative.) Michael Eriksson ( talk) 19:33, 9 April 2011 (UTC)
This article is rife with confusion between an idiom and a euphemism. It needs an editor to start cutting left and right. I will wait for other editors to weigh in (an idiom for state an opinion) on euphemism examples from the page which are actually idioms so we have consensus before I start swinging the scythe. ElijahBosley (talk ☞) 12:46, 22 July 2011 (UTC)
W.C. isn't a euphemism, it's a straightforward name for the apparatus in question. 'Closet' refers to the fact that the apparatus closes the connection to the sewer and 'water' refers to the fact that it's done with water (the water in the U-bend). 'Closet' does not refer to the room, despite what has been written in this article and also the article 'Flush toilet'.
This link http://www.theplumber.com/closet.html should make it clear - it also refers to 'pneumatic', 'plunger', and 'valve' closets.
The term may be being used in the belief that it's a euphemism, but it isn't. 2.27.197.254 ( talk) 17:44, 31 October 2011 (UTC)
"A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience"
it Sound weird at best. -- 190.21.103.207 ( talk) 20:21, 24 November 2011 (UTC)-- 190.21.103.207 ( talk) 20:21, 24 November 2011 (UTC)
in "profanity", i changed the word "young" to "some". the reason being that it was discriminatory against youth, unreferenced, and unverifiable. if someone has a reference to verify it, please point me to it. thank you. Jake1993811 ( talk) 07:15, 23 December 2011 (UTC)
It's trash and should be emptied, but over my limit for such actions. There's a small on-topic area in euphemisms for things for which there are profane terms, like "poop". However what's accumulated is not anything like that. 72.228.177.92 ( talk) 01:56, 13 January 2012 (UTC)
Rather than deleting the table, my view is expand it to include all the examples the article cites in a single, simple table. There is no need to have separate sections for warfare, or sex, or what have you. ElijahBosley (talk ☞) 17:22, 31 March 2012 (UTC)
'Dongle' appears in the list of euphemisms contained in this article. Surely, "hardware key, hardware token, security device" are not euphemisms for dongle - they are merely synonyms or descriptions. Dongle is not an offensive word, and the suggested phrases are not used to obfuscate or create a 'milder' term for dongle. Even if some people may think the word 'dongle' sounds slightly rude, this is not a good example of a euphemism and can serve only to confuse. Can we remove this from the list? Carty239 ( talk) 11:20, 7 September 2012 (UTC)
Shouldn't it be "an" euphemism? Haamerhed ( talk) 22:15, 28 December 2012 (UTC)
No. It is "a euphemism"[yoo-fuh-miz-uhm]. By the way, you have a typo error.— Preceding unsigned comment added by 222.164.40.245 ( talk) 15:24, 4 April 2013 (UTC)
I've removed a lot of redundant or unfootnoted material, got rid of idioms or jargon that are not true euphemisms, and tightened up the article. I am reluctant to remove every unfootnoted example of a euphemism. Some are so common and accepted as euphemisms that a footnote would belabor the obvious. Still in the interest of conservation of article bandwidth, from here on out adding another example should serve a purpose the existing examples do not serve, and requires a footnote stating that it is a euphemism. ElijahBosley (talk ☞) 15:17, 24 April 2013 (UTC)
Which should it be at the start of the article. "An euphemism" or "A euphemism" as both are used here on this talk page. A text search of this page on "an e" and "a e" returns many examples of both just an 'a' in front of a word starting with 'e...' (or should that have been "a 'a' in front of a word starting with 'e...'") and also many with 'an'.
If this is a difference between English dialects then both version should be given at the start of the article with a note that this is a difference in dialect as is done for different spellings in articles like color. -- PBS ( talk) 07:29, 17 May 2009 (UTC)
( BigDaddyBradley ( talk) 18:56, 7 June 2013 (UTC)) The one exception is the word Euphemism ( BigDaddyBradley ( talk) 18:56, 7 June 2013 (UTC))
I am a comparatively new Wikipedia editor so I am still figuring out some of the wikitext and protocols.
I came across this Wikipedia entry while conducting research while teaching an undergraduate e-journalism course.
I added an example of a euphemism "appeared tired and emotional" for "drunk". I hadn't supplied a footnote for my original entry so my edit was reverted. I have since supplied a footnote after a bit of stumbling around with the wiki text. I did a quick appeal on Twitter to determine if this was a commonly understood and widely used euphemism and was assure by a few correspondents that it was still in current usage. I supplied one footnote but could have supplied another http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/organgrinder/2009/jun/16/joy-six-broadcastin-under-influence ggatin ( talk) 23:34, 28 May 2013 (UTC)
I have corrected the steady misspelling of "euphemism" so that it no longer appears as "euphamism." Careless spelling suggests careless thinking. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.54.19.176 ( talk • contribs) 13:34, 11 August 2013 (UTC)
Euphenisms are in relation to diplomatic & political aspergers schizofrenia, that moment in life, where menopause slaps moral reason square in the face. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.204.18.169 ( talk) 17:23, 18 August 2013 (UTC)
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Archive 1 | Archive 2 | Archive 3 |
In use: "Fucking hell, this is a shambles, pardon my French". It's a mangled apology for swearing.
This article is well written, and certainly deserves a higher rating. 58.174.49.225 ( talk) 06:29, 25 October 2009 (UTC)
Am I missing something? I don't think terms like "croak" are euphemisms—in fact I'd say they're dysphemisms. One would sooner say "My beloved uncle died Thursday" than "My beloved uncle croaked Thursday. — Casey J. Morris 23:55, Jun 26, 2005 (UTC)
I would propose that the word "deceased" isn't really a euphemism. I come across the word very frequently when referring to dead people in an official context. On the other hand, it is used as a noun ("the deceased") rather than a verb or adjective. 194.176.105.35 22:37, 18 January 2007 (UTC)
ish push! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.231.134.164 ( talk) 03:02, 14 October 2008 (UTC)
I'd probably consider 'passed away' a euphemism. Also, would 'pounded', 'banged', or 'nailed' be a dysphemism for 'fucked'? 24.80.64.96 08:10, 27 February 2010 (UTC)
[ 11 May, 2005;
Liberty ] Re: "The converse of a euphemism is a dyslogism." Is this really true?
Isn't the opposite of a dyslogism a eulogism (eulogy)? Wouldn't the converse of 'euphemism' be a "dysphemism"? (or a phemism-eu?)
Unless this point can be defended, I'm going to remove this statement.
(It seems like the author might have some other reason for posting that there than just defining 'euphemism'.)
Even if defensible, does it belong at the top of the article? We already have the section that states "There are three antonyms of euphemism, dysphemism, cacophemism, and power word. The first can be either offensive or merely humorously deprecating with the second one generally used more often in the sense of something deliberately offensive. The last is used mainly in arguments to make one's point seem more correct than opponent's."
[ 26 Jun 2005;
Liberty ] Removing
"The converse of a euphemism is a dyslogism, literally 'bad-speech' or 'bad-reason (logic)'."
No one responded to my note, above, and this dubious claim is not directly relevant to the summary description of what a "euphemism" is.
This article claims that "euphemism" is the "opposite" of "minced oath" (and likewise the article for minced oath makes the same claim), yet it gives minced oaths as examples of euphemisms lower down. 198.145.97.68 05:01, 16 September 2007 (UTC)
List of euphemisms is linked 3 times in the article. Don't you think it's too much? DMTsurel 15:50, 14 Jun 2005 (UTC)
The following item occurs in the list of common examples:
But isn't "sexual intercourse" itself a euphemism for the original Anglo-Saxon "fuck"? I suspect it is, but I have no actual data to support this. Any linguists out there with some knowledge of the origin of this expression? I think this is also an example of the dysphemism treadmill, as "intercourse" by itself is almost never used outside the context of sex. But, that was not the original meaning of the word (isn't the original meaning something like "conversation"?). Anyway, I think it might be a particularly interesting example, as the sexual usage has become so entrenched (at least here in the US) that many people might not realize that the word had non-sexual origins. Gwimpey 06:11, 31 October 2005 (UTC)
Umm... forgive my ignorance, but what is " "?
As a non-native speaker, I must ask: how about the prevalent "congress", as listed in the Kama Sutra? Euphemism or not? Demf 15:18, 7 August 2006 (UTC)
"If this question is asked in Europe to someone not used to American habits the person who asks the question might actually end up at a place where there just only is a washbasin and not at a place equipped according to their needs."
I think this is questionable. I'm an American, and if someone asked me "where can I wash my hands" I wouldn't assume they're looking for a toilet, although that is the most likely place for someone to be able to wash their hands. -- 68.80.78.11 06:59, 6 November 2005 (UTC)
Bathroom was replace by rest room? I would venture that the term bathroom is much more common in American English usage for any type of toilet, and almost exclusive when referring to one in a home.
I don't think this fits.
One definition of euphemism is:
Another is:
The use of the phrase "holiday season" for "Christmas" may well be offensive to some Christians, but that does not make it a "euphemism." Few people see anything harsh, blunt, offensive, or unpleasant about Christmas. The "holiday season" is understood to include Christmas; it is not a verbal pretense that there is no Christmas. Dpbsmith (talk) 23:50, 30 December 2005 (UTC)
This article says "berk is short for Berkshire Hunt". But the Berk article says, "it is a shortened version of Berkeley Hunt". This should be reconciled.
Incidentally, both explanations are slightly surprising, since I would pronounce the word "berk" to rhyme with "lurk", but when contained in "Berkshire" or "Berkeley" I would pronounce it to rhyme with "lark".
Is it really necessary? I wonder if it's overkill.
Also, do most people pronounce "berk" to rhyme with "lark" or to rhyme with "lurk"? Do British rhyme it with "lark" or "lurk"?
It is entirely disgusting to use this quote, very inappropiate! Where are your standards?
In the UK both "Berkshire" and "Berkeley" are pronounced Bark- in RP, but in some dialects far removed from those areas (such as Yorkshire) may be pronounced Burk-, or even Beark- in Scouse (Liverpool). "berk" the epithet is nevertheless pronounced "burk". It is originally a "Cockney", or Estuary English, usage, so the pronunciation might be expected to reflect London circumstances. This might imply that it's origin is "Berkeley Hunt", because Berkeley (Gloucs.) would have been outside the home patch of the typical working-class Londoner at the time the expression probably arose, and hence pronounced incorrectly; whereas Berkshire is very much closer - indeed, all the native Londoners I know pronounce it "Bark-shire". Of course, we still refer to trip to Newbury as "visiting rural Berks", but that's different. 219.79.59.77 16:18, 3 February 2007 (UTC)
Contrary to popular opinion, the word "doublespeak" does _not_ occur in Orwell's "1984". The word he uses is "doublethink", the concept of holding two contradictory ideas simultaneously - the mental result of reading "doublespeak" literally, perhaps? I've removed the reference. Tevildo 16:08, 9 March 2006 (UTC)
What about the situation Bill Clinton found himself in when he came face to face with biographer, David Maraniss, who had basically trashed him. Clinton said "Nice Tie" which in the sophisticated business world means "fuck you". I didn't see where that euphemism fits into one of the existing categories.
Can someone verify the origin of "jerk?" The article claims that 'jerk' "began as 'jerk-off' (itself a reference to masturbation), in reference to someone who was boorish or stupid."
According to http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20010919, it is a shortened form of "jerkwater." This is also referenced at http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=jerk, although the "jerk-off" reference is mentioned as a possible influencer. I submit that the article should be changed. Sloppyedwards 03:39, 26 March 2006 (UTC)
I don't believe that the use of the term Americanism in this article is meant to be pejorative. The phrases "unique to the U.S." or "of U.S. origin" would be more clear. Indeed, these are the only terms indicating a specific origin, which makes it seem unbalanced. -- Macrowiz 17:29, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
Over the years I've come to interpret the term urban as being a euphemism for African-American, for example, the term "urban audiences" in movies. Obviously blacks aren't the only ones who live in cities and urban areas, however, the term does tend to refer specifically to African-Americans. Should there be a mention of this in the article? Wikichange 03:22, 28 August 2006 (UTC)
Nicholas Lemann ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Lemann) argues:
"Between 1910 and 1970m, six and a half million black Americans moved from the South to the North; five million of them moved after 1940, during the time of the mechanization of cotton farming. In 1970, when the migration ended, black America was only half Southern, and less than a quarter rural; "urban" had become a euphemism for "black." ( http://www.terry.uga.edu/~dawndba/4500PromisedLandI.html) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.142.112.108 ( talk) 00:06, 3 June 2008 (UTC)
The section titled "Doublespeak" needs cleanup. The definition given is imprecise, the example is poorly representative, and no information is given about (what I'm assuming, can anyone correct me on this) this term's origin. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 128.189.144.80 ( talk • contribs) .
One example in the "euphemism treadmill" section,
Shell shock → battle fatigue → Operational exhaustion → Post-traumatic stress disorder
May be a "euphemism treadmill" but it is also an attempt to more precisely describe what is going on. Part of the problem is that you had people coming back with stress disorder who had never been shelled. So superior officers would say, "He can't have 'shell shock' because he was never near a shell," and think the soldier was malingering. So they widened it to "battle fatigue", but it also turned up in people who hadn't (recently) been in a battle, just subjected to high risk week after week until adrenaline exhaustion set in and they "went crazy" a little. Hence the newer term "Post-traumatic stress disorder". Which has the major disadvantage of being polysyllabic (my objection to "African-American") and hence sounding like psycho-babble, but at least doesn't exclude people who genuinely have the problem but never were subjected to shelling or actual live fighting.
Comments from other contributors?
—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.130.255.230 ( talk • contribs) . 2203, 1 October 2006 (UTC)
The whole section needs to be overhauled. The phenomenon isn't properly defined, and the examples include one book in which it's mentioned as a concept but not used, and two which don't apply, as they aren't actual examples of phenomenon treadmill but regionalisms. PacificBoy 01:08, 27 May 2011 (UTC)
The section presents doublespeak as distinct from other euphemisms based on its use in large organizations (reasonable claim I suppose); but then it goes on to distinguish jargon. The material in support of this distinction is all based on the intent of the speaker. There are no structural, societal, or linguistic arguments to support the distinction. This makes the distinction between doublespeak and jargon appear highly subjective, arbitrary, and uninformative. Moreover, it can be argued that jargon is also subject to speaker intent, and misuse. Better support for this distinction requires some attention to structural or linguistic reasons for making a distinction (e.g., 'jargon' tends to be codified, whereas doublespeak is more colloquial), or *anything* more compelling than "doublespeak is intended to confuse people, whereas jargon only confuses them accidentally". drefty.mac 23:35, 27 October 2006 (UTC)
I always thought that "Doublespeak," inasmuch as it is related to "Doublethink" from Orwell's 1984, described the use of euphemisms that actually connote the exact opposite of the information they are being used to convey. Examples would be things like "pacification" for "military force," "funding cut" for "smaller-than-expected-funding increase", and "volunteered" for "compelled." -- Pusher robot 18:04, 22 November 2006 (UTC)
I also agree that "taking friendly fire" is not an example of doublespeak; it is actually an example of jargon, because "friendly" is a military jargon word for "ours or allied" and is used as a generic adjective in many other contexts; it's not trying to paint the shooting as loving and helpful. Fratricide is also not an exact synonym, because "friendly fire" is always accidental but fratricide may also be murder. -- Pusher robot 18:13, 22 November 2006 (UTC)
I'd like to propose that the "friendly fire" phrase be eliminated as an example of doublespeak. It's a poor example because it really doesn't obfuscate anything - it's meaning, while using jargon, is obvious. Pusher robot 02:26, 9 January 2007 (UTC)
Did the person who added this tag actually read the article? Or was the article changed after the tag was added without removing the tag? The section clearly states its sources, and it has an inline reference. Jerry lavoie 06:11, 4 January 2007 (UTC)
Quebecois french slang, in my opinion, is more noted for its blasphemous curse words, not religious euphemisms. I've heard "the man upstairs" et al. many times in English, but never anything like that in French, and I really can't think of any religious euphemisms off-hand. Anyone care to give me a few examples? Until then, I'll remove that sentence; I suspect whoever added that misunderstood the meaning of euphemism. -- jag123 04:18, 8 January 2007 (UTC)
It is more of a joke I think, and not really a euphemism. What do you think?-- Filll 21:46, 13 February 2007 (UTC)
It is more of a dysphemism, as it is intentionally insulting. I removed it from the euphemism treadmill section. I think that whoever added it lacked understanding of either the implications of the term or of the definition of euphemism. -- Fitzhugh 09:01, 21 February 2007 (UTC)
Perhaps the Bright movement should be included as its purpose is (quoting the article) "to provide a positive-sounding umbrella term, bright, to describe various types of people who have a naturalistic worldview, without casting that worldview as a negative response to religion (as the terms atheist, infidel or non-believer may be seen as doing)." -- Cory Kohn 21:36, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
You mean , sort of like the way poofters like to call themselves Gay? 85.210.149.65 11:53, 31 May 2007 (UTC)
Is there scope in this article to discuss the use of euphemisms as a form of Political Correctness ? 85.210.149.65 11:51, 31 May 2007 (UTC)
I suggest, (and this may not be correct) taking out some links. Not sure of most relevant policy, but those that just are to define a word are helpful, but not needed? Particularly, why do there need to be any links in the religion sub-section - the terms that get links are fairly common words, and the concepts are not central to the topic at hand. Although, if the content of the article changes rapidly, taking out links may leave none at all, its tricky. Just suggestion, look at this issue of links. Newbyguesses 00:39, 10 May 2007 (UTC)
There are two references to Gresham's law, but there is not really any relation. I suggest we remove the references. -- Apoc2400 04:50, 10 July 2007 (UTC)
I agree, there does not seem to be a connection. - Redmess ( talk) 11:03, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
Because these are becoming increasingly popular, nearly every normal job has a euphemism nowadays.
Examples:
Binman - waste removal officer Security guard - loss prevention officer Blacksmith - equine chiropodist Cashier - sales assistant
Those are just the few at the top of my head, but I'm sure there are loads and loads that people could add to the list, and someone could write a little section on when and why these came about. Just a suggestion, Alex9788 10:04, 21 August 2007 (UTC)
At the halls I lived in last year the cleaners were called 'Domestic Assistants' despite the job explicitly involved nothing but cleaning. Tomgreeny 18:41, 21 August 2007 (UTC)
Yeah, and that's just one of many, so do you reckon there should be a new section for it in the article? Alex9788 20:37, 21 August 2007 (UTC)
Go for it. Tomgreeny 17:19, 22 August 2007 (UTC)
Most of the entries in this section seem to be joke terms rather than actual job titles. Was that the intent? 64.171.162.77 01:21, 7 October 2007 (UTC)
No it wasn't the intent, and I did just take out 3 of them including 'carcass discombobulator', obviously not a real job title (feel free to prove me wrong). However, one must remember that many, even commonly used, euphemisms in job titles may appear jocular because they do over-inflate the importance of the job. (Not to say of course, that the jobs are unimportant.) Alex9788 16:10, 8 October 2007 (UTC)
Come on. Vision Clearance Engineer? Does this really exist as a job title? Can anybody verify it? Also, the note to expand this section is not necessary. Wikipedia articles are not dumping grounds for lists -- or a t least they shouldn't be. If there is a real desire for a longer list, I suggest creating a separate article for this list. Slithymatt 20:28, 8 November 2007 (UTC)
"Sandwich Artist" the OTT usage by SUBWAY to refer to their staff could be added? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 219.89.167.109 ( talk) 08:19, 16 December 2008 (UTC)
Hi. I noticed you take the meaning of "maldición" as being "bad word". It actually means "curse" (as used in "gipsy curse", for example). This can be clearly seen in the expression "maldito seas", which basically means "curse you". Whereas "maldito seas" usually goes against someone, "maldición" is usually expressed as a sign of distress directed at no one in particular, as is "¡mierda!" and similar expressions, although "mierda" is considered much more offensive - note that "maldición" is not usually considered a "bad word", although its use is discouraged in formal occasions.
There is, however, a fun fact: "puteada" is in certain dialects a dysphemism for "bad word". This varies greatly, though, as Spanish dialects are way too varied. For the record, I am from Argentina, and am familiar with the argentine dialect, but the chilean dialect is quite different when it comes to "bad words", and something you would find offensive in Mexico, for example, may not be so in Uruguay. 200.127.112.162 15:29, 10 October 2007 (UTC)
On a separate note, I would like to argue that the use of "maldición" in Spanish is similar to that of "Damn" (short for "Damnation") in English. As a result, there's no need to look for an example of this use in a different language if we have one in our own. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 137.222.91.179 ( talk) 16:45, 20 November 2007 (UTC)
In "The 'Euphemism Treadmill'" section is mention of a George Carlin routine, and the following pejoration sequence:
However, the 'pedia's own redirects and articles suggest that "shell shock", "battle fatigue", and "operational exhaustion" are acute disorders synonymous with " combat stress reaction". On the other hand, " PTSD" is a similar, but chronic, disorder synonymous with "traumatic war neurosis". I realize that Wikipedia is not a source for itself (and even contradicts itself in the articles on the two conditions I just linked to), so if anyone can clarify this it would be appreciated. - Tobogganoggin talk 09:38, 8 November 2007 (UTC)
Are the manure brands in this part of the text real brands? It sounds like a joke. This needs a lot of references. - Redmess ( talk) 09:47, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
The reference to Ferenc Gyurcsány and "his controversial speech that triggered the 2006 anti-government protests" is not contextualised. Who is he and which 2006 protests are being referenced? I realise there is a link and it's easy to find out the information, but surely inserting "Hungarian Prime Minister" before his name would be useful. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.142.112.108 ( talk) 23:53, 2 June 2008 (UTC)
Someone changed the wording to rub out the fact that "fag" really means "unmanly". It's as the ever-politically-incorrect George Carlin once said: "In my neighborhood, a fag was someone who wouldn't go downtown and help beat up queers." Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? 15:25, 30 July 2008 (UTC)
I think the explanation for the use of 'sucks' in American English is incorrect. While it has a sexual connotation to city dwellers, I'm pretty certain that use of 'sucks' as a description of a bad situation arose from the farm expression, "sucking hind teat". This refers to the runt of a litter being pushed out of the way by its larger siblings, and eventually being relegated to the last teat, which receives less milk than the others. I theorize this meaning pre-dates the sexual one in American society, but I'm not certain how to research this. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 199.201.227.100 ( talk) 16:44, 8 August 2008 (UTC)
The article says:
" Euthanasia" also attracts euphemisms. One may put one out of one’s misery, put one to sleep, or have one put down, the latter two phrases being used primarily with dogs and cats who have made their final visit to the veterinarian. (These terms are not usually applied to humans, because both medical ethics and civil law deprecate euthanasia.) In fact, Dr. Bernard Nathanson has pointed out that the word "euthanasia" itself is a euphemism, being Greek for "good death".
I don't think euthanasia is a euphemism. It means ‘good death’, i.e. a death that is more desirable than life (e.g. because of irremediable suffering), as distinguised from other words that mean death. It's not an inoffensive alternative to a more direct term; it is in fact the most direct term there is for the thing it describes — euthanasia. It's like saying that murder is a euphemism for ‘unlawful killing’.
I'm not 100% sure, though, so I won't delete it yet. BreakfastTime ( talk) 21:30, 22 August 2008 (UTC)
an euphemism for death penalty? it sounds so much nicer and cleaner
if so it should be addded
-- Stefanbcn ( talk) 13:38, 11 September 2008 (UTC)
Digital scatologist sounds more like a dysphemism to me. -- Urzică ( talk) 16:11, 18 February 2009 (UTC)
I've seen dozens of references to this phrase, and nearly all of them relate to an WWII policy of compensating British farmers (engaged in critical war work) for damage done to their property by friendly forces. A pilot who crashed into a field caused enough damage to net a large check, thus literally "buying" the farm. LordShonus ( talk) 11:17, 11 March 2009 (UTC)
I don't think "spastic" as an insult started with Joey Deacon on Blue Peter (1981 I think). I'm sure I heard it (or something obviously similar like "spazmo", usually accompanied by oncoordinated gestures and parodied speech), in the early 1970s if not the late 1960s. (i.e. in the playground in my own schooldays). The OED traces "spaz" to a 1965 US usage, but also cites it in a Martin Amis book of 1975: "Dead Babies viii. 47, I know how long, you little spaz." PeterBiddlecombe ( talk) 10:32, 16 March 2009 (UTC)
I think the bit about Tiger Woods as the different conotations of spastic and spaz in the UK and USA is a bit odd. Spastic/spaz as an insult in the UK has been used to mean clumsy, un-coordinated and physically incompetent, as well as suggesting stupidity, which seems to me pretty similar to the US, except that the US uses it more lightly, and more often directed towards the self. But characterising people who have cerebal palsy in that way is insensitive and unfair whether it is directed as an insult or in a self-deprecating way which is why it is considered so offensive. 87.114.227.184 ( talk) 14:53, 4 July 2012 (UTC)
There is an interesing source here that could eventually be added to a specialized article about sexual euphemisms. It talks about the words that were used to hide clerical pederasty. [2] ADM ( talk) 04:47, 30 April 2009 (UTC)
Content on so-called Dysphemism treadmill deleted this day due to lack of any reliable/authoritative cite, merely circular references to this Wikipedia article and others within Wikipedia employing it, and casual use by those evidently familiar with the term via same: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q=%22dysphemism+treadmill+%22&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=. Wikiuser100 ( talk) 16:26, 22 November 2009 (UTC)
Yet another advance, the use of "spesh", derived from special needs. Should be added? http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=spesh —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.156.31.79 ( talk) 13:02, 27 November 2010 (UTC)
There are millions of euphemisms, born every day, in all languages. I see no point to keep a random list of them, especiall keeping in mind that this is a long and detailed aritcle, with examples abound in the text. I suggest to dismantle this section: spread notable examples over the text and delete the rest. 20:06, 10 December 2010 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Loggerjack ( talk • contribs)
Currently, the article states:
Similarly, scientific or medical words which are in fact euphemisms in their original languages, such as " anus" (Latin: literally "ring"), " vagina" (Latin: literally "sheath"), or " pudendum", (literally "something which one must be modest about") are now considered generally unacceptable and should be replaced by other euphemisms in polite conversation. (end quote)
-- I don't think that is true at all. To the extent that the very topic of those body parts makes it into polite conversation, I have never experienced or heard of an instance where those particular words have been deemed offensive or not "sugar-coated" enough. Rather, it is the topic itself that is avoided. And I'm referring to "polite conversation" here -- not medical conversations, such as between doctors, where those words would surely be OK; nor "smack" talking or joking around where those words would be considered too tame.
(the above unsigned comment edited by 76.113.104.58 (talk) at 19:32, 23 December 2010).
The article claims that the term "blind people" excludes those with uncorrected poor vision. Doesn't legal blindness cover people with less than 10% of standard visual acuity? Perhaps "mild to moderate poor vision" might be a better example, leaving "blind" to mean severe to profound impairment in vision. -- Damian Yerrick ( talk | stalk) 13:31, 9 April 2011 (UTC)
I just removed a few sentence on "Jew", having found them misleading and poorly supported by the two given references. Notably, the first relied on the second, the second (contrary to the article) gave the impression that "Jew" was making a comeback after centuries as an "evil" word, and also that the main problem was in constructs like "Jew lawyer" rather than "a Jew" (while the article focused on the noun).
I have no objects to a reinsertion with better references or corresponding modifications. (But I do note that I have never, myself, considered the noun "Jew" to be derogative.) Michael Eriksson ( talk) 19:33, 9 April 2011 (UTC)
This article is rife with confusion between an idiom and a euphemism. It needs an editor to start cutting left and right. I will wait for other editors to weigh in (an idiom for state an opinion) on euphemism examples from the page which are actually idioms so we have consensus before I start swinging the scythe. ElijahBosley (talk ☞) 12:46, 22 July 2011 (UTC)
W.C. isn't a euphemism, it's a straightforward name for the apparatus in question. 'Closet' refers to the fact that the apparatus closes the connection to the sewer and 'water' refers to the fact that it's done with water (the water in the U-bend). 'Closet' does not refer to the room, despite what has been written in this article and also the article 'Flush toilet'.
This link http://www.theplumber.com/closet.html should make it clear - it also refers to 'pneumatic', 'plunger', and 'valve' closets.
The term may be being used in the belief that it's a euphemism, but it isn't. 2.27.197.254 ( talk) 17:44, 31 October 2011 (UTC)
"A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience"
it Sound weird at best. -- 190.21.103.207 ( talk) 20:21, 24 November 2011 (UTC)-- 190.21.103.207 ( talk) 20:21, 24 November 2011 (UTC)
in "profanity", i changed the word "young" to "some". the reason being that it was discriminatory against youth, unreferenced, and unverifiable. if someone has a reference to verify it, please point me to it. thank you. Jake1993811 ( talk) 07:15, 23 December 2011 (UTC)
It's trash and should be emptied, but over my limit for such actions. There's a small on-topic area in euphemisms for things for which there are profane terms, like "poop". However what's accumulated is not anything like that. 72.228.177.92 ( talk) 01:56, 13 January 2012 (UTC)
Rather than deleting the table, my view is expand it to include all the examples the article cites in a single, simple table. There is no need to have separate sections for warfare, or sex, or what have you. ElijahBosley (talk ☞) 17:22, 31 March 2012 (UTC)
'Dongle' appears in the list of euphemisms contained in this article. Surely, "hardware key, hardware token, security device" are not euphemisms for dongle - they are merely synonyms or descriptions. Dongle is not an offensive word, and the suggested phrases are not used to obfuscate or create a 'milder' term for dongle. Even if some people may think the word 'dongle' sounds slightly rude, this is not a good example of a euphemism and can serve only to confuse. Can we remove this from the list? Carty239 ( talk) 11:20, 7 September 2012 (UTC)
Shouldn't it be "an" euphemism? Haamerhed ( talk) 22:15, 28 December 2012 (UTC)
No. It is "a euphemism"[yoo-fuh-miz-uhm]. By the way, you have a typo error.— Preceding unsigned comment added by 222.164.40.245 ( talk) 15:24, 4 April 2013 (UTC)
I've removed a lot of redundant or unfootnoted material, got rid of idioms or jargon that are not true euphemisms, and tightened up the article. I am reluctant to remove every unfootnoted example of a euphemism. Some are so common and accepted as euphemisms that a footnote would belabor the obvious. Still in the interest of conservation of article bandwidth, from here on out adding another example should serve a purpose the existing examples do not serve, and requires a footnote stating that it is a euphemism. ElijahBosley (talk ☞) 15:17, 24 April 2013 (UTC)
Which should it be at the start of the article. "An euphemism" or "A euphemism" as both are used here on this talk page. A text search of this page on "an e" and "a e" returns many examples of both just an 'a' in front of a word starting with 'e...' (or should that have been "a 'a' in front of a word starting with 'e...'") and also many with 'an'.
If this is a difference between English dialects then both version should be given at the start of the article with a note that this is a difference in dialect as is done for different spellings in articles like color. -- PBS ( talk) 07:29, 17 May 2009 (UTC)
( BigDaddyBradley ( talk) 18:56, 7 June 2013 (UTC)) The one exception is the word Euphemism ( BigDaddyBradley ( talk) 18:56, 7 June 2013 (UTC))
I am a comparatively new Wikipedia editor so I am still figuring out some of the wikitext and protocols.
I came across this Wikipedia entry while conducting research while teaching an undergraduate e-journalism course.
I added an example of a euphemism "appeared tired and emotional" for "drunk". I hadn't supplied a footnote for my original entry so my edit was reverted. I have since supplied a footnote after a bit of stumbling around with the wiki text. I did a quick appeal on Twitter to determine if this was a commonly understood and widely used euphemism and was assure by a few correspondents that it was still in current usage. I supplied one footnote but could have supplied another http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/organgrinder/2009/jun/16/joy-six-broadcastin-under-influence ggatin ( talk) 23:34, 28 May 2013 (UTC)
I have corrected the steady misspelling of "euphemism" so that it no longer appears as "euphamism." Careless spelling suggests careless thinking. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.54.19.176 ( talk • contribs) 13:34, 11 August 2013 (UTC)
Euphenisms are in relation to diplomatic & political aspergers schizofrenia, that moment in life, where menopause slaps moral reason square in the face. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.204.18.169 ( talk) 17:23, 18 August 2013 (UTC)