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Notes Works cited References External links 0-9 S.S. Kresge Lunch Counter and Soda Fountain, about 1920 86 Main article: 86 1. Soda-counter term meaning an item was no longer available 2. "Eighty-six" means to discard, eliminate, or deny service A A-1 First class abe's cabe 1. Five dollar bill 2. See fin, a fiver, half a sawbuck absent treatment Engaging in dance with a cautious partner ab-so ...
Views vary with geography and culture, over time, and among individuals. Many terms that some people view as harmful are not viewed as hurtful by others, and even where some people are hurt by certain terms, others may be hurt by the replacement of such terms with what they consider to be euphemisms (e.g., "differently abled" or "special needs ...
A two-year study was done by Bert Little, Ph.D. on American English slang with the main focus being in the coastal plain region of the Southeast U.S. [3] His study published by The Trustees of Indiana University on behalf of the Anthropological Linguistics journal goes on to provide an extensive glossary of common prison slang terms that he ...
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.
Euphemisms should generally be avoided in favor of more neutral and precise terms. Died and had sex are neutral and accurate; passed away and made love are euphemisms. Some words and phrases that are proper in many contexts also have euphemistic senses that should be avoided: civilian casualties should not be masked as collateral damage.
Expressions or words from a foreign language may be imported for use as euphemism. For example, the French word enceinte was sometimes used instead of the English word pregnant; [22] abattoir for slaughterhouse, although in French the word retains its explicit violent meaning 'a place for beating down', conveniently lost on non-French speakers.
A euphemism for dying or death: put a spoke in one's wheel To disrupt, foil, or cause problems to one's plan, activity, or project. [69] put on airs: An English language idiom and a colloquial phrase meant to describe a person who acts superior, or one who behaves as if they are more important than others. [70] put the cat among the pigeons
The term four-letter word serves as a euphemism for words that are often considered profane or offensive.. The designation "four-letter" arises from the observation that many (though not all) popular or slang terms related to excretory functions, sexual activity, genitalia, blasphemies, and terms linked to Hell or damnation are incidentally four-character monosyllables.