Make Your Point > Archived Issues > EUPHEMISTIC

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connect today's word to others: I like Ralph Keyes's definition of euphemisms that he offers in Euphemania: Our Love Affair with Euphemisms. He calls them "words or phrases substituted for ones that make us uneasy." That makes them sound quite nice and useful, doesn't it? According to Keyes, a euphemism "softens the harsh, smoothes the rough, makes what's negative sound positive." Hmm. That last part is the problem, isn't it? Euphemisms obscure, or flat-out lie. That's why the comedian George Carlin hated them: "I don't like words that hide the truth. I don't like words that conceal reality. ... And American English is loaded with euphemisms. 'Cause Americans have a lot of trouble dealing with reality." He goes on to deplore how the harsh, realistic phrase "shell shock" has morphed into the weak, anesthetized "post-traumatic stress disorder." And: "The dump became the landfill." "Landfill," "post-traumatic stress disorder:" these are euphemistic terms, ones we use to soften ideas and make them more socially acceptable. The word euphemistic literally means "good speaking" and originally described carefully-chosen words for religious ceremonies, words that wouldn't invite bad omens. The "phem" part of euphemistic means "speaking," which is why it looks a bit like the words prophet, aphasia ("the loss of speech"), and phatic ("related to social speech"). And can you explain why it also looks a bit like eulogize? And, can you explain why it's just a coincidence that it looks a bit like ephemeral? make your point with... "EUPHEMISTIC" The word "euphemism" has Greek roots that mean "good speaking." A euphemism is a gentle term for a harsh, vulgar, or embarrassing idea. In other words, compared to the more direct way of describing something, a euphemism is a softer, kinder, more vague, more polite, more appropriate, or more socially acceptable way of naming or describing something. So, euphemistic words and phrases are polite, gentle, vague, and often watered-down. Pronunciation: YOU fuh MISS tick Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "a euphemistic thing" or "a euphemistic person." [Notice how you use "a" and not "an" before "euphemistic," because it sounds like it starts with a consonant: "YOU fuh MISS tick."] 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was euphemistic " or "He was euphemistic.") Other common forms: euphemism(s), euphemistically How to use it: Talk about euphemistic names, words, terms, phrases, descriptions, comments, responses, answers, speech, writing, language, and even cursing, gosh darn it.  You can point out how someone has put a euphemistic spin or twist on an idea, or talk about someone's euphemistic tone, attitude, or treatment of a topic. Someone can be euphemistic on or about some topic. And if you call a person euphemistic, you mean he or she is speaking euphemistically: "She's euphemistic, reminding us to 'use the facilities' before the long bus ride." examples: Its motives have been called into question, and once it was categorized as a hate group: the euphemistic "Family Research Council." "...The marketing gurus for Kellogg’s cereals decided [on] ditching the slogan splashed for years on boxes of All-Bran—'the natural laxative food'—in favor of the more euphemistic 'naturally high in fiber.'"    — Henry Chu, National Geographic, 7 April 2016 study it now: Look away from the screen to define "euphemistic" without saying "wishy-washy" or "inoffensive." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) stays euphemistic, referring to _____ as '_____.'" Example: "The professor stayed euphemistic, referring to an impractical research design as 'ambitious.'" before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is "A Doodad Named After a Thingamajig." If I give you two categories, X and Y, can you think of an X that was named after a Y? We'll start off easy--these first few questions will have lots of correct answers each that you might think up--and we'll work our way toward harder questions that, as far as I know, have only one correct answer each. From the previous issue: Can you think of a construction material named after a city? The only answer I know of is Plaster of Paris. Luis thought of Pozzolan cement. Many readers suggested Portland cement as well, named for the Isle of Portland, which very nearly fits our category of "construction materials named for cities." (If you know more, please share them!) Try this one today: Can you think of a type of competition named after a town? review today's word: 1. The opposite of EUPHEMISM is A. DYSPHEMISM, the use of an unnecessarily vulgar word. B. HETEROPHEMY, the use of the wrong word that was intended. C. BARNUMISM, the use of words that are boastful or exaggerated. 2. On her website advertising her professional photography, she's a bit euphemistic, substituting "_____" for "_____." A. Info .. Information B. Investment .. Fees C. Events .. Weddings Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. B