Softening Up the Language
Language teachers often find themselves teaching about euphemisms, whether intentionally or not. A euphemism is a relatively harmless word or expression meant to replace a more offensive one. The blind are commonly referred to as “visually impaired” or “visually challenged”, spying is “surveillance”, and stealing can be “appropriation”.
A particularly interesting word often used as a euphemism is “overqualified”. When referring to a rejected job applicant, the term may be used as a cover-up for the fact that the employers do not wish to reveal their reasons for the rejection, or that the applicant is too old for the job, resistant to new technologies, or too demanding in terms of compensation.
The Economist editors recently published a report on euphemisms from around the world. Entitled “Making Murder Respectable”, their article defines euphemism as “a mixture of abstraction, metaphor, slang and understatement that offers protection against the offensive, harsh or blunt”. Noting that the British are “probably the world champions of euphemism”, the article concludes that, without euphemisms, the world would be a more honest but harsher place to live in. No witness to “the global war on terror” with its “friendly fire”, “collateral damage”, and “enhanced interrogation techniques” could possibly disagree.
Euphemisms definitely soften up the language, don’t they?
Posted by May Mikati on 16 April 2012, 8:34 AM
Language teachers often find themselves teaching about euphemisms, whether intentionally or not. A euphemism is a relatively harmless word or expression meant to replace a more offensive one. The blind are commonly referred to as “visually impaired” or “visually challenged”, spying is “surveillance”, and stealing can be “appropriation”.
A particularly interesting word often used as a euphemism is “overqualified”. When referring to a rejected job applicant, the term may be used as a cover-up for the fact that the employers do not wish to reveal their reasons for the rejection, or that the applicant is too old for the job, resistant to new technologies, or too demanding in terms of compensation.
The Economist editors recently published a report on euphemisms from around the world. Entitled “Making Murder Respectable”, their article defines euphemism as “a mixture of abstraction, metaphor, slang and understatement that offers protection against the offensive, harsh or blunt”. Noting that the British are “probably the world champions of euphemism”, the article concludes that, without euphemisms, the world would be a more honest but harsher place to live in. No witness to “the global war on terror” with its “friendly fire”, “collateral damage”, and “enhanced interrogation techniques” could possibly disagree.
Euphemisms definitely soften up the language, don’t they?
Posted by May Mikati on 16 April 2012, 8:34 AM
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