Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Negro is an example of a once-innocuous euphemism that has become outdated and offensive. Frequently, over time, euphemisms themselves become taboo words, through the linguistic process of semantic change known as pejoration , which University of Oregon linguist Sharon Henderson Taylor dubbed the " euphemism cycle " in 1974, [ 31 ] also ...
A euphemism is a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting for a harsher, blunter, or more offensive term.. It may also substitute a description of something or someone to avoid revealing secret, holy, or sacred names to the uninitiated, or to obscure the identity of the subject of a conversation from potential eavesdroppers.
Euphemism [17] Lights out To die Slang Going into Eternal Oblivion: Liquidation To be killed Euphemism Usually used in political context (such as purges), implies dehumanization. Live on a farm (upstate) To die Euphemism Usually referring to the death of a pet, especially if the owners are parents with children, i.e. "The dog went to live on a ...
A euphemism for dying or death: bought the farm: A euphemism for dying or death, especially in an aviation context: break a leg: A wish of good luck to theatre performers before going on stage, due to the belief amongst those in theatre that being wished "good luck" is a curse [24] burn the midnight oil: To work late into the night [e] [25 ...
Sometimes words borrowed from other languages become minced oaths; for example, poppycock comes from the Dutch pappe kak, meaning 'soft dung'. [6] The minced oath blank is an ironic reference to the dashes that are sometimes used to replace profanities in print. [ 7 ]
"Seeing pink elephants" is a euphemism for hallucinations caused by delirium tremens or alcoholic hallucinosis, especially the former.The term dates back to at least the early 20th century, emerging from earlier idioms about seeing snakes and other creatures.
Get AOL Mail for FREE! Manage your email like never before with travel, photo & document views. Personalize your inbox with themes & tabs. You've Got Mail!
In 2016, Christian Barker of The Rake observed, "Until quite recently, obituary writers had a habit of concluding with the euphemism 'He never married' to subtly indicate that the subject was gay", but continued by connecting the phrase to misogamy rather than homosexuality, and asserted that there were plenty of examples of " 'confirmed ...