# Euphemisms



## cuchuflete

Euphemisms are used in every language.  What are the topics in which they are most frequently used in yours?

In AE, most of the ones I know have something to do with ordinary bodily functions, and with unpleasant people or topics.

Is that also true in other languages?

thanks,
Cuchuflete


----------



## Narda

Yes it is of Spanish.  I am thinking and will get back to you with some...


----------



## mirandolina

We might just give a few examples in English.

Consider the verb "to die":

when speaking formally, or of a person you are fond of, this may be expressed with a compassionate euphemism such as
- to pass away

or with a more familiar, slang term when you are not personally involved:

- to kick the bucket
- to snuff it
- to pop his/her clogs

I can think of some in Italian and French, but we'll let the native speakers have a go....




			
				cuchuflete said:
			
		

> Euphemisms are used in every language. What are the topics in which they are most frequently used in yours?
> 
> In AE, most of the ones I know have something to do with ordinary bodily functions, and with unpleasant people or topics.
> 
> Is that also true in other languages?
> 
> thanks,
> Cuchuflete


----------



## Narda

Colgar los tennis (to die)

Echar buitre (vomitar) Quite vulgar expression though, not offensive, only vulgar

Remar = comer

Mentar la madre = insultar

Ojo = pay attention

Avisparse = be alert

Pelar el ojo = mirar con atención

Tragar la gota amarga = sufrir

pasar un mal rato = sufrir/pasar una verguenza

Hacerse de la vista gorda = ignorar

Mas amishado que un perro en misa = to be very, extremely shy


----------



## cuchuflete

Gracias Narda,

Me encanta aprender estas frases, pero algunos no son, a mi parecer, eufemismos.



> * 1.* m. Manifestación suave o decorosa de ideas cuya recta y franca expresión sería dura o malsonante.
> _Real Academia Española © Todos los derechos reservados_



Seguro que tienes más ejemplos.

gracias,
Cuchu



			
				Narda said:
			
		

> Colgar los tennis (to die)
> 
> Echar buitre (vomitar) Quite vulgar expression though, not offensive, only vulgar
> 
> Remar = comer
> 
> Mentar la madre = insultar
> 
> Ojo = pay attention
> 
> Avisparse = be alert
> 
> Pelar el ojo = mirar con atención
> 
> Tragar la gota amarga = sufrir
> 
> pasar un mal rato = sufrir/pasar una verguenza
> 
> Hacerse de la vista gorda = ignorar
> 
> Mas amishado que un perro en misa = to be very, extremely shy


----------



## te gato

Cuchu;

Some NICE ones...
golden years---old age
inner fashions--underwear
pre-owned auto--used car
estate jewelery--second hand jewelery
abuser of controlled substances--drug addict

wardrobe malfunction

For death...
bite the big one  
bite the dust
buy the farm

and so on..yadda, yadda.....
te gato


----------



## lsp

Back to your (and my) AE, a moment. We listed, way back in college, the euphemisms for "drunk," and came up with hundreds (need I mention, _while_ we were drunk, so you can imagine the results otherwise)!


----------



## gaer

Hmm. I think there is some confusion about what the word "euphemism" means, if I understand the word correctly.

Isn't this a (supposedly) "nice-sounding" replacement for something unpleasant?

Some of the suggestions I've seen seem to be slang.


----------



## mjscott

fluff = pass gas = flatulate


----------



## gaer

mjscott said:
			
		

> fluff = pass gas = flatulate


Or "break wind"!


----------



## Cath.S.

Here we enter _le royaume enchanté du politiquement correct_, the wondrous realm of the "politically correct", which is itself a sort of euphemism for... euphemism which it itself, more often than not, a euphemism for... lie.

A few French examples:
Quelques exemples en français:

_nous a quittés/a disparu_ = est mort (= "left us"/"vanished" = died) 
_la recherche sur modèle _= vivisection  
_les quartiers sensibles_ = les quartiers pauvres (= poor neighbourhoods)


----------



## gaer

egueule said:
			
		

> Here we enter _le royaume enchanté du politiquement correct_, the wondrous realm of the "politically correct", which is itself a sort of euphemism for... euphemism which it itself, more often than not, a euphemism for... lie.
> 
> A few French examples:
> Quelques exemples en français:
> 
> _nous a quittés/a disparu_ = est mort (= "left us"/"vanished" = died)
> _la recherche sur modèle _= vivisection
> _les quartiers sensibles_ = les quartiers pauvres (= poor neighbourhoods)


If you think about it, "bathroom" is itself a euphemism for "toilet", which is a perfectly fine word in BE.


----------



## Cath.S.

gaer said:
			
		

> If you think about it, "bathroom" is itself a euphemism for "toilet", which is a perfectly fine word in BE.


Oh yes, it is, but "toilet" itself started its career as a euphemism. It comes from the french "toilette", 
toilet 

 1540, "cover or bag for clothes," from M.Fr. _toilette_ "a cloth, bag for clothes," dim. of _toile_ "cloth, net" (see _toil_ (2)). Sense evolution is to "act or process of dressing" (1681); then "a dressing room" (1819), especially one with a lavatory attached; then "lavatory or porcelain plumbing fixture" (1895), an Amer.Eng. euphemistic use. _Toilet paper_ is attested from 1884. _Toilet training_ is recorded from 1940. 

Source: a rather wonderful online etymological dictionary I just found!
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=t&p=14


----------



## gaer

egueule said:
			
		

> Oh yes, it is, but "toilet" itself started its career as a euphemism. It comes from the french "toilette",
> toilet
> 
> 1540, "cover or bag for clothes," from M.Fr. _toilette_ "a cloth, bag for clothes," dim. of _toile_ "cloth, net" (see _toil_ (2)). Sense evolution is to "act or process of dressing" (1681); then "a dressing room" (1819), especially one with a lavatory attached; then "lavatory or porcelain plumbing fixture" (1895), an Amer.Eng. euphemistic use. _Toilet paper_ is attested from 1884. _Toilet training_ is recorded from 1940.
> 
> Source: a rather wonderful online etymological dictionary I just found!
> http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=t&p=14


 
Isn't it strange how a word that itself is a euphemism, toilet, has been replaced by ANOTHER one and is now considered a bit rude in the US?

It's truly a weird world we live in.


----------



## mirandolina

More euphemistic ways of referring to the "toilet":

Where can I wash my hands? 
the "rest room" (AE)

the little boys'/girls' room

The popular English term "loo" is derived from the French "l'eau" (water).

a propos of which, here's a bit of Scottish history:

In days of old when there were no toilets, the "business" (another euphemism!) was done in a chamber pot and disposed of in the street, where there were no sewers either.
In the old town of Edinburgh, where the buildings were sometimes even five or six floors high, it was customary to throw the offending matter out of the window, first warning anyone in the street below with the cry "Gardez l'eau" (Mind the water!), the pronunciation of which was gradually transformed into "Gardyloo".
Of course this included any water or slops that had to be disposed of, so pedestrians had to be always on their guard....





			
				gaer said:
			
		

> If you think about it, "bathroom" is itself a euphemism for "toilet", which is a perfectly fine word in BE.


----------



## mjscott

Other euphemisms:

He rode off into the sunset = he died
He went to that big blue (_baseball field)_ in the sky = he died

In the 2nd example, the baseball field can be anything. If the person was a surgeon, he would go to that big blue _suregery suite_ in the sky. If he was a shopping mall employee, he would _go to that big blue shopping mall in the sky_.


----------



## mjscott

mentally unbalanced = one brick short of a load
                                  the lights are on but no one is home
                                  one french fry short of a happy meal


----------



## Artrella

*Pasó a mejor vida * = se murió

*Le falta un jugador * = está loco

*Barrios carenciados* = villas miseria donde la gente se muere de hambre

Esto lo escuché en Perú cuando yo vivía allá >> *"pueblo joven*" = villa miseria (así lo llamamos los argentinos y los políticos les dicen "barrios carenciados"!!)
*
Gente con capacidades diferentes* = gente con síndrome de Down, o con problemas motrices, sordos, ciegos, etc


----------



## belén

mjscott said:
			
		

> one french fry short of a happy meal



Hahahahahahahahaha. I have to remember this one!

Mentally unbalanced:

"Le falta un hervor"  - He/she hasn't been properly cooked. 

One for someone who is about to die or about to be fired at work :

"Le faltan dos telediarios" - He's got two newsbulletins left.


----------



## beatrizg

Devolver atenciones = vomitar

Mujer de vida alegre / de la vida  = prostituta

Caballero de industria = vividor


----------



## mjscott

vertically challenged = short (in stature)


----------



## cuchuflete

mjscott said:
			
		

> vertically challenged = short (in stature)



Very good...a fine example of Politically Correct nonsense.

Can we invent some more of these for --just a few examples-- other fairly normal human conditions:

too tall
obese
skinny
etc  ??


How about
ethically challanged = corporate embezzler
Mensa candidacy challanged = dimwit


ciao,
Cuchu


----------



## Artrella

*Euphemisms for going to the toilet* (UK)

Watering the horses 
Spending a penny
Going for a Jimmy Riddle
Going to powder my nose 
Wiping the dew off the lily 
Going to launch a big ship 
Going to drop some friends off at the pool 
Pointing the Percy at the porcelain


----------



## Sharon

mjscott said:
			
		

> vertically challenged = short (in stature)


I HATE that one !! 

I just smile, and tell them, "Oh, that's ok, I'm _horizontally gifted._"


----------



## mjscott

Oh man--I thought beatrizg was funny with devolver atenciones
--Artrella, you sent me for a belly-laugh!

Some others
I need to go pinch a loaf
to go pinch off a brownie (a brownie is a chocolate cookie bar)

obese = undertall
_          = _Rubenesque


----------



## Artrella

Sharon said:
			
		

> I HATE that one !!
> 
> I just smile, and tell them, "Oh, that's ok, I'm _horizontally gifted._"




Me too Sharon ( in Argentina they say "chichón del suelo" = floor lump??)


----------



## sergio11

One euphemism I cannot stand is when doctors tell the family of a patient who died, "we lost him," or "he left us." How did you lose him? Where did you misplace him? Where did he go? Some family members may not grasp the meaning and stand looking at the doctor, puzzled, without understanding what happened. 

Please, if you are a doctor, or have friends that are, tell them, not to use euphemisms when telling people that their family member died. You have to be very clear and not leave any room for doubts. You may preface it by a short intro, you may briefly explain surrounding circumstances, how it developed, how it happened, whatever you like, but briefly, without testing their patience, and at some point you have to make very clear that the patient *died.* Not that he "left us," or we "lost" him, or "is in a better place," but that he *died*. 

And, of course, be ready to comfort them, to be supportive, to be sympathetic, etc., but be very clear, please. This is no time to give ambiguous information, and thereby add confusion to an already bad situation.


----------



## mirandolina

It's actually point Percy at the porcelain. (no article).

Anyway, this reminds me of an Italian one:

Vado a cambiare l'acqua alle olive.
I'm going to change the water in the olives....





			
				Artrella said:
			
		

> *Euphemisms for going to the toilet* (UK)
> 
> Watering the horses
> Spending a penny
> Going for a Jimmy Riddle
> Going to powder my nose
> Wiping the dew off the lily
> Going to launch a big ship
> Going to drop some friends off at the pool
> Pointing the Percy at the porcelain


----------



## LV4-26

There's another topic elsewhere about words expressing anger, annoyance, etc..
I think they're often put in the negative and turned into euphemisms. Now, I'm wondering : would you call that an euphemism or an understatement, and is there a real difference between those two words ?
Here's my example :
_not being entirely over the moon_ (which really means "being mad with anger", I think)

As for the "going to the toilet" :
Has somebody already mentionned "splash one's boots"
And how about this french one "prendre un jaune chez Jacob"
(because most urinals are made by a company called _Jacob-Delafon)_


----------



## zebedee

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> Very good...a fine example of Politically Correct nonsense.
> 
> Can we invent some more of these for --just a few examples-- other fairly normal human conditions:
> 
> too tall
> obese
> skinny
> etc  ??
> 
> 
> How about
> ethically challanged = corporate embezzler
> Mensa candidacy challanged = dimwit


How about these ones (please excuse the free publicity)

too tall: Renault Twingo buyer challenged
skinny: Weight Watchers member challenged
obese: mjscott's Rubenesque is great

Or how about Rossy de Palma being called:
 "La belleza cubista / A Cubist beauty"?


----------



## Sharon

obese / too skinny - _calorie challenged_


----------



## pinkpanter

gaer said:
			
		

> Isn't it strange how a word that itself is a euphemism, toilet, has been replaced by ANOTHER one and is now considered a bit rude in the US?
> 
> It's truly a weird world we live in.



Here some foreros have said euphemisms and others jocular expressions. The thing is that vocabulary tends to proliferate around these taboos. There is always a need of novelty. In the case of euphemisms they are introduced to avoid a taboo word but with time the new word gets the same bad connotations that the taboo word had and then a new euphemism is needed.


----------



## cuchuflete

You are absolutely correct Panterita,

That said, will you excuse me for a moment, as I need to use the euphemism.





Here I am, back again, still circumferentially challanged [skinny] with a pigmentally deprived facial hirsute adornment [white beard]. Is 'politically correct' a euphemism for dopey or inane?

saludos,
Cuchu [possible euphemism for rabble rouser?]


----------



## zebedee

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> You are absolutely correct Panterita,
> 
> That said, will you excuse me for a moment, as I need to use the euphemism.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here I am, back again, still circumferentially challanged [skinny] with a pigmentally deprived facial hirsute adornment [white beard]. Is 'politically correct' a euphemism for dopey or inane?
> 
> saludos,
> Cuchu [possible euphemism for rabble rouser?]



Yes, wasn't Politically Correct one of the seven dwarfs? 
I don't know but you're definitely challenge spelling challenged, me old wabble wouser...


----------



## cuchuflete

Oh THAT again...could I please pretend I'm creating neologisms, so people won't notice that I can't spell?

How about 'alphabetically creative' for 'can't spell his way out of a paper bag!'?


----------



## Leopold

You mean "wowser"??? I'm confused...

Leo


----------



## cuchuflete

Leo, 
Zeb is making fun of me, by imitating the pronunciation of rouser, as spoken by a person who is pronunciationally challenged [has a speech defect].
She is cruel and heartless sweetness impaired this morning!
Cuchu


----------



## Leopold

Oquei, oquei, I got it, even if I can't understand what does that mean.

Leo


----------



## cuchuflete

Rabble rouser:  One who provokes a crowd of rabble [gente de barrio bajero], usually into violent actions.  A synonym might be 'trouble maker'.

C


----------



## Like an Angel

alguien que murió: se extinguió/apagó su luz.-
                         pasó a mejor vida -como si supieramos lo que nos espera después-
                         dejó de existir.-
                         se fué a un lugar donde no hay luz, no hay agua, no hay comida -sonamo nero lo llevaron pa' casa -


Los que siguen no son eufemismos pero me encantan  :

alguien que está loco: se le salió un patito de la fila.-
                              le faltan caramelos en el frasco.-
                              le faltan cinco pa'l peso.-
                              no le llega agua al tanque.-
                              se le calleron unos ladrillos de la pared.-
                              le falta un jugador.-

Ya voy a pensar en algún otro eufemismo y lo voy a postear cuchu.-


----------



## Like an Angel

Por ladrones: amigos de lo ajeno.-


----------



## Like an Angel

Artrella said:
			
		

> Me too Sharon ( in Argentina they say "chichón del suelo" = floor lump??)


 
También les dicen: *Tarzán de maceta* , pero no se preocupen, he escuchado por allí que lo bueno viene en envase chico -aunque el veneno también... que por cierto es muy efectivo -


----------



## Artrella

Like an Angel said:
			
		

> he escuchado por allí que lo bueno viene en envase chico -aunque el veneno también... que por cierto es muy efectivo -




Claro!! Si lo sabré yo... cada vez que me decían "enana" yo les decía "lo bueno...." y me contestaban "el veneno también"...y se me acababa ahí!!


----------



## Narda

You are right Cuchu, but I got carried away...


----------



## cuchuflete

Narda,
Don't worry, it's great to see the enthusiasm!  

abrazos,
Cuchu


----------



## Artrella

Like an Angel said:
			
		

> alguien que murió: se extinguió/apagó su luz.-
> pasó a mejor vida -como si supieramos lo que nos espera después-
> dejó de existir.-
> se fué a un lugar donde no hay luz, no hay agua, no hay comida -sonamo nero lo llevaron pa' casa -
> 
> 
> Los que siguen no son eufemismos pero me encantan  :
> 
> alguien que está loco: se le salió un patito de la fila.-
> le faltan caramelos en el frasco.-
> le faltan cinco pa'l peso.-
> no le llega agua al tanque.-
> se le *calleron* unos ladrillos de la pared.-
> le falta un jugador.-
> 
> Ya voy a pensar en algún otro eufemismo y lo voy a postear cuchu.-




Like....se le *cayeron* unos ladrillos de la pared...pobre!!


----------



## pinkpanter

Other euphemisms:

heck
darn
gosh
gee
jiminy cricket  
sugar 
God ... bless it
zounds


----------



## garryknight

Advance warning: my intention is not to upset anyone, simply to point out, especially to learners of English, how some euphemisms are used.

Anyway, somebody once told me that religion is where you believe in gosh and his son jeepers because if you don't you'll be darned to heck.


----------



## LV4-26

Here's one in french :
_technicienne de surfaces_
for "femme de ménage".


----------



## rayb

Artrella said:
			
		

> Claro!! Si lo sabré yo... cada vez que me decían "enana" yo les decía "lo bueno...." y me contestaban "el veneno también"...y se me acababa ahí!!


 
Te faltó el perfume en la secuencia


----------



## Agnès E.

LV4-26 said:
			
		

> Here's one in french :
> _technicienne de surfaces_
> for "femme de ménage".


 
Yes, almost every job description can be a funny PC phrase ! For instance :

"hôtesse de caisse" for "caissière" (checker)
"artiste capillaire" or "styliste capilaire" for "coiffeur" (hairdresser)


----------



## rayb

The original question was the meaning of "euphemism" in different languages. Misfortunately we have shifted to examples and left aside the original question. My understanding, in French and Spanish, is a language manipulation to try to hide the truth.

The following example, in French and Spanish, Shows how an euphemism works:
"dorer la pillule" or "dorar la píldora"


----------



## Like an Angel

Artrella said:
			
		

> Like....se le *cayeron* unos ladrillos de la pared...pobre!!


 
Doumo Arigatou Gozaimasu!!! Nil (suena raro en _romaji _eh?)


----------



## mirandolina

Two more job descriptions:

In Italy the old "spazzino" (street-sweeper, dustman) is now an "operatore ecologico" (ecological operator).

While the British "rat-catcher" is now a "rodent exterminator".





			
				Agnes E. said:
			
		

> Yes, almost every job description can be a funny PC phrase ! For instance :
> 
> "hôtesse de caisse" for "caissière" (checker)
> "artiste capillaire" or "styliste capilaire" for "coiffeur" (hairdresser)


----------



## rayb

Well, now in France, an unnemployed is called "chercheur d'emploi" instead of "chomeur"


----------



## gaer

garryknight said:
			
		

> Advance warning: my intention is not to upset anyone, simply to point out, especially to learners of English, how some euphemisms are used.
> 
> Anyway, somebody once told me that religion is where you believe in gosh and his son jeepers because if you don't you'll be darned to heck.


Garry, Gosh is watching you, so watch your darn language.


----------



## sergio11

Like an Angel said:
			
		

> Doumo Arigatou Gozaimasu!!! Nil (suena raro en _romaji _eh?)


 
I had no idea of what "Romaji" was until I read this posting by Like an Angel and searched the Internet. 

In case someone else needs to know, here it is: 



> from: http://japanese.about.com/cs/romaji/
> Romaji is the romanization of Japanese words. With romaji you can read Japanese without learning Japanese writing.


----------



## Like an Angel

sergio11 said:
			
		

> I had no idea of what "Romaji" was until I read this posting by Like an Angel and searched the Internet.
> 
> In case someone else needs to know, here it is:


 
Perdón, perdón, perdón... debí explicarlo, pero gracias a Dios Sergio lo hizo por mí  ... en realidad debí escribirlo en Hiragana que es la escritura Japonesa para palabras de origen Japonés pero como no tengo el software necesario lo hice en Romaji, thank you Sergio for explaining it!


----------



## gaer

sergio11 said:
			
		

> I had no idea of what "Romaji" was until I read this posting by Like an Angel and searched the Internet.
> 
> In case someone else needs to know, here it is:


I can give you even more information, because I read Japanese just a bit.

Japanese has two phonetic "alphabets": hiragana and katakana. Both have to do with "kana", which is the name for these "letters". Hiragana is smooth, rounded, and it is used to write Japanese words in combination with kanji (Japanese characters that are very close Chinese characters.) Kan forms one character that in itself means China-Chinese. So kan-ji, "Chinese characters".

Ji=character. So romaji (properly NOT capitalized) is a phonetic system for writing Japanese which is not used by the Japanese when communicated with each other in writing. "roma" is written in katakana, indicating it is NOT a Japanese word. "Ji" is written in a character, showing it IS not only Japanese but also a kanji.

The curious thing is that the Japanese must learn something VERY close to romaji in order to type their own language.

For those who can display Asian characters:

ローマ字=ローマじ=romaji
平仮名=ひらがな=hiragana
片仮名=かたかな=katakana


Katakana is used MOSTLY for foreign words used in Japanese.

Gaer


----------



## sergio11

Thank you, Gaer, for the explanation. It is very informative. I always admired those who can read and write those characters, whether Chinese, Japanese or Korean. I thought of buying a beginner's book and learning one of those languages, but it looked like an impossible task and I didn't even try.

Like an Angel, you don't have to apologize. It was a learning experience, at least for me, and I am sure others learned from it, too. 

Since I had never heard of Romaji, first I thought you meant Romani (the language of the Gypsies) and misspelled it. But then I could not believe it, because having seen many of your posts, it would have been very much out of character to make a mistake such as that, even though it is possible because of the closeness of the j and the n on the keyboard. 

Anyway, to make a long story short, I searched in Google and found that Romaji existed and was something different from Romani.


----------



## gaer

sergio11 said:
			
		

> Thank you, Gaer, for the explanation. It is very informative. I always admired those who can read and write those characters, whether Chinese, Japanese or Korean. I thought of buying a beginner's book and learning one of those languages, but it looked like an impossible task and I didn't even try.
> 
> Like an Angel, you don't have to apologize. It was a learning experience, at least for me, and I am sure others learned from it, too.
> 
> Since I had never heard of Romaji, first I thought you meant Romani (the language of the Gypsies) and misspelled it. But then I could not believe it, because having seen many of your posts, it would have been very much out of character to make a mistake such as that, even though it is possible because of the closeness of the j and the n on the keyboard.
> 
> Anyway, to make a long story short, I searched in Google and found that Romaji existed and was something different from Romani.


Let me tell you, SIX YEARS of bashing my head against the wall of the Japanese language was the most humbling experienc of my life, not involving some of the truly stupid things I did when I was young. 

Gaer


----------



## Like an Angel

sergio11 said:
			
		

> Like an Angel, you don't have to apologize. It was a learning experience, at least for me, and I am sure others learned from it, too.
> 
> Since I had never heard of Romaji, first I thought you meant Romani (the language of the Gypsies)


 
Now, I've learned something too Sergio, I didn't have a clue about Romani... so thank you!! 

I'm sorry guys but Mr. Cuchuflete will appear and remaind us that this thread is called *Euphemisms*... we don't want to get Mr. Cuchus angry, do we? ... I'm sorry Cuchus is all my fault!!!


----------



## Like an Angel

No sé por qué, pero la mayoría que encontré son sobre la muerte, ¿Por qué tendrá tanta mala prensa esa señora?

_Ahí viene la afanadora, la amada inmóvil, la apestosa, la bien amada, la blanca, la calaca, etc._
_Chupar Faros (de los cigarrillos mexicanos sin filtros bien fuertes que ya casi ni hay)_

_Colgar los tenis._

_Doblar el petate (pues antes se enterraba a la gente envueltos en petates)_

_Enfriarse._

_Entregar el equipo._

_Entregar la piel._

_Estirar la pata._

_Felparse._

_Palmarse_

_Pasar a mejor vida (que tiene la buena influencia católica)_

_Pelar gallo _

_Pelarse._

_Petatearse (que va otra vez al petate, pues muchos morían en petates)_

_Pirarse._

_Quedarse tieso._

_Se lo chupó la bruja._

_Torcerse._


----------



## Like an Angel

_Daños colaterales: a los civiles muertos en guerras,_
_Excluidos del sistema: a los pobres o indigentes, _
_Flexibilización laboral: a leyes que favorecen los despidos en masa_
_Hasta llegar a la peor frase pronunciada en Argentina -por Jorge Rafael Videla-: Los desaparecidos no tienen identidad. No están ni vivos ni muertos, son desaparecidos.- _


----------



## cuchuflete

Thanks to Like an Angel, I'm tempted to re-open the thread on what passes for language in the mouths of government officials.

Temporary and Minor Economic_ dislocation_= 6 million people without jobs, together with a tax rate reduction for those who earn more than $200,000 USD per year.


----------



## Narda

How about corporate language:

Team player = agrees with the boss 

Brown noser = Kisses a***** (chaquetero, sacude leva, perro)

Corporate can be mean...

I have more to come.


----------



## cuchuflete

Narda said:
			
		

> How about corporate language:
> 
> Team player = agrees with the boss
> 
> Brown noser = Kisses a***** (chaquetero, sacude leva, perro)
> 
> Corporate can be mean...
> 
> I have more to come.



Hola Narda,

"Brown noser" was, at the time of its origin, anything but euphemistic.  It comes, if memory serves, from the English writer Alexander Pope, in his satire The Dunciad.  He describes a parade of Fleet Street publishers, in the form of pigs, each walking with his nose pressed up against the backside of the pig in front.  This was scatological satire, and the color in the phrase was clearly understood to mean excrement.  

After hundreds of years, the sense of flattery has continued, but the power of the language has diminished.

saludos,
cuchu


----------



## Like an Angel

I've found these ones on the net:

*WORD------> **EUPHEMISM*
janitor------->custodian
custodian---->building engineer
crippled------>disabled
disabled------>physically challenged
retarded----->mentally challenged
retarded----->special, exceptional
used--------->second-hand, second-hand pre-owned
victim-------->survivordied
old person--->senior citizen,senior
problem----->challenge
problem----->issue
product------>solution
illegal drugs-->illegal substances
addiction----->substance abuse
beggar------->panhandler
panhandler--->the homeless


----------



## Like an Angel

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> Thanks to Like an Angel, I'm tempted to re-open the thread on what passes for language in the mouths of government officials.


 
_Euphemisms are also used to hide unpleasant ideas, even when the literal term for them is not necessarily offensive. This type of euphemism is used in public relations and politics, where it is known as doublespeak_. ¡Ay! si sabremos los argentinos del doble discurso, políticos, políticos... en fin.-


----------



## Like an Angel

preso: privado de la libertad
ciego: no vidente

A good friend of mine's loves cooking, she invited me one Sunday to her countryside home and cooked for me, as I didn't do anything that day -about cooking- I said "ok, I'll wash the dishes while you cook". During I was washing the dishes she said "Did you see how much lather does _Ivory_ make?" I said "Yes, this detergent is great!" but what she really wanted to say was "Don't use too much detergent please!!"... Awww my firend is so diplomatic -is this an euphemism?  -

Cheers!


----------



## cuchuflete

Like an Angel has invented the long form of the euphemism:



> _I'm sorry guys but Mr. Cuchuflete will appear and remaind us that this thread is called Euphemisms... we don't want to get Mr. Cuchus angry, do we? ... I'm sorry Cuchus is all my fault!!!
> ___________________





That means:  I'll do what I please, and count on my wit and charm to keep me out of trouble.=

Seems to be working!!

cuchu


----------



## gaer

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> Thanks to Like an Angel, I'm tempted to re-open the thread on what passes for language in the mouths of government officials.
> 
> Temporary and Minor Economic_ dislocation_= 6 million people without jobs, together with a tax rate reduction for those who earn more than $200,000 USD per year.


Okay, but be sure to find a way to work "sex" into the title if you want a lot of replies. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Gaer


----------



## gaer

Like an Angel said:
			
		

> preso: privado de la libertad
> ciego: no vidente
> 
> A good friend of mine loves cooking, she invited me one Sunday to her countryside home and cooked for me, as I didn't do anything that day -about cooking- I said "ok, I'll wash the dishes while you cook". While I was washing the dishes she said "Did you see how much lather _Ivory_ makes?" I said "Yes, this detergent is great!" but what she really wanted to say was "Don't use too much detergent please!!"... Awww my firend is so diplomatic -is this a euphemism?  -
> 
> Cheers!


No, just diplomacy. 

Gaer


----------



## Like an Angel

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> Like an Angel has invented the long form of the euphemism...
> That means: I'll do what I please, and count on my wit and charm to keep me out of trouble.=
> 
> Seems to be working!!
> 
> cuchu


 
You caught me Cuchus, you caught me


----------



## Like an Angel

gaer said:
			
		

> No, just diplomacy.
> 
> Gaer


 
Thank you Gaer! and thank you for the corrections!!!


----------



## Artrella

Bajá un cambio = calmate


----------



## gaer

Like an Angel said:
			
		

> Thank you Gaer! and thank you for the corrections!!!


You're welcome. 

Gaer


----------



## gaer

Artrella said:
			
		

> Bajá un cambio = calmate


I should have been asking many other people all long about things I did not understand.

Bajá=? Just another word that I can't find. 

Gaer


----------



## Artrella

gaer said:
			
		

> I should have been asking many other people all long about things I did not understand.
> 
> Bajá=? Just another word that I can't find.
> 
> Gaer




Ohhh Gaer!! Sorry!!! Look "bajá" is the imperative of "bajar" (Argentinian way, of couse!!) = lower.

So it would be sth like "Lower one gear"


----------



## cuchuflete

hmmmm--a little off topic

Oh, Really?--definitely off topic

what an intriguing digression!= wayyyyyy off topic!!!


(* j*)
C.


----------



## Whisky con ron

"Ir a darle la mano a mi mejor amigo" (para varones, claro) = ir a orinar.

"Go to shake my best friend's hand".


----------



## beatrizg

This one is not exactly an euphemism but I really like it
In Colombia:

Bailar = azotar baldosa


----------



## gaer

Artrella said:
			
		

> Ohhh Gaer!! Sorry!!! Look "bajá" is the imperative of "bajar" (Argentinian way, of couse!!) = lower.
> 
> So it would be sth like "Lower one gear"


OH! Many times if you enter a conjugation into the dictionary, it will return the infinitive. This time it didn't. I get it now!

We say: "Will you turn it down?" (This refers to volume.)  

Gaer


----------



## gotitadeleche

When you want to avoid saying that someone is ugly, you say "Well, he/she has a good personality."


----------



## Lancel0t

gotitadeleche said:
			
		

> When you want to avoid saying that someone is ugly, you say "Well, he/she has a good personality."



I have something related to ugly.. I learned this from a friend. According to him, he saw a painting which looks like a painting of an ugly person, but below the painting there is a message: 

"Don't call me *UGLY*. I am just *UNIQUE*!"

So the euphemism of Ugly is Unique


----------



## pinkpanter

Another euphemism: 

*"moon children" * instead of _"cancer" _ when talking about the zodiac signs.


----------



## cuchuflete

Unfortunate hunting accident= The quail in the bush got away, while the friend got a face and body full of shotgun pellets, and had a heart attack.


----------



## timebomb

In Singapore, when someone has died, we sometimes say "he has handed up his IC".  IC refers to Identity card.  When someone dies, his card is surrendered to the government by his relatives.

Besides death, functions concerning the body are often spoken of in euphemisms.  Don't we say someone is "expecting" when she's pregnant?  The other word everyone avoids is "menstruation".  My wife, when she's having her period would say, "I having that thing" or "That thing has arrived".

Loh K L


----------



## maxiogee

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> Euphemisms are used in every language.  What are the topics in which they are most frequently used in yours?
> 
> In AE, most of the ones I know have something to do with ordinary bodily functions, and with unpleasant people or topics.
> Cuchuflete



Isn't "dealing with unpleasant topics" part of the job-description for a euphemism?

Why would one want a euphemism for a nice thing?

How would an alternative word for "having a good time" be a euphemism?


----------



## Maria Juanita

here we use to called an ugly woman a *"belleza exótica" (!)* hahahahahaha!!! 




			
				Lancel0t said:
			
		

> I have something related to ugly.. I learned this from a friend. According to him, he saw a painting which looks like a painting of an ugly person, but below the painting there is a message:
> 
> "Don't call me *UGLY*. I am just *UNIQUE*!"
> 
> So the euphemism of Ugly is Unique


----------



## diegodbs

Esa persona ya no se encuentra entre nosotros = morir

Free translation: that person is nowhere to be seen = to die.


----------



## la reine victoria

Two more from the UK.  Lavatorial. Used by females. Rather vulgar.


I'm going to shake my lettuce.

I'm going to strain my greens.



La Reine V
(who loves her brassicas)


----------



## nichec

In Chinese:

--She abides by the traffic rules......she's not pretty at all
--She's cute......she's not pretty at all (I know it's totally different in AE )

I wonder if I'm misunderstanding the topic of this thread....but we do call the cockroaches "Little John" to avoid mentioning the name (I guess it's for the unpleasant feeling it brings), and we call taxis "Little Yellow" because they are all painted yellow according to the law in Taiwan.

Edit: Please forgive me if I misunderstand the topic of the thread


----------



## maxiogee

My mother used to refer to 'women of a certain age' who were unmarried as "an unclaimed treasure". I don't know if she realised it, but the ones who she conferred this title upon tended to be the less attractive ones.


----------



## la reine victoria

maxiogee said:
			
		

> My mother used to refer to 'women of a certain age' who were unmarried as "an unclaimed treasure". I don't know if she realised it, but the ones who she conferred this title upon tended to be the less attractive ones.


 



Which brings me nicely to 'being on the shelf' - the place where you would find 'an unclaimed treasure'.


LRV


----------



## Heba

Here in Egypt, we usually use Euphemisms in topics that have to do with sex or with certain parts of the body
For example, it is prefered to say that to say ''x and z had an intimate relation ''  than ''x and z had sex''. 
It has become common lately in colloquial Egyptian Arabic, especially in movies , to refer to a man's impotency as ''not knowing'' (in standard arabic, the phrase is not complete because it needs an object)
Instead of saying ''he is impotent'', you would say ''he does not know''.


----------



## la reine victoria

Heba said:
			
		

> Here in Egypt, we usually use Euphemisms in topics that have to do with sex or with certain parts of the body
> For example, it is prefered to say that ''x and z had an intimate relation '' for example than ''x and z had sex''.
> It has become common lately in colloquial Egyptian Arabic, especially in movies , to refer to a man's impotency as ''not knowing'' (in standard arabic, the phrase is not complete because the it needs an object)
> Instead of saying ''he is impotent'', you would say ''he does not know''.


 

Since we're getting into the 'bits' in a man's southern hemisphere, I (who have had a very sheltered upbringing) thought I'd throw in some euphemisms in BrE use.

Impotence is known as 'brewer's droop'. Usually applied to men who drink too much alcohol, but generally universally applied. As the noble Bard said in Macbeth - 'Drink - it provokes the desire but takes away the performance.'

Early morning erections - 'morning glory', 'pride of the morning', 'making tent poles in bed'. 

Well endowed men - 'hung like a donkey', 'like a baby's arm holding an apple'.

The male 'bits' - 'the one-eyed trouser snake', 'meat and two veg', 'the crown jewels', 'the family silver'.

Toying with the member with hands in trouser pockets - 'playing pocket billiards'.

The exit from the male member - 'the Jap's eye'. No offence to our oriental foreros.

There are many many more but modesty forbids.    

La Reine V


----------



## Maria Juanita

Well, I don't know if this is an euphemism, but it upsets me a lot when here in my country someone calls a rich person as someone who comes from "a good family", what we say in spanish "gente bien" o "de buena familia" (I don't know if I could translate this as "fine people", I guess this doesn't have a proper translation) OK, I'm not rich so, that means that I come from a bad family? or there is something wrong with my people? -say, are poor people bad- http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=58865&highlight=poverty+danger ????


----------



## nycphotography

maxiogee said:
			
		

> Why would one want a euphemism for a nice thing?
> 
> How would an alternative word for "having a good time" be a euphemism?


 
You mean like a "happy ending"???


----------



## la reine victoria

Maria Juanita said:
			
		

> Well, I don't know if this is an euphemism, but it upsets me a lot when here in my country someone calls a rich person as someone who comes from "a good family", what we say in spanish "gente bien" o "de buena familia" (I don't know if I could translate this as "fine people", I guess this doesn't have a proper translation) OK, I'm not rich so, that means that I come from a bad family? or there is something wrong with my people? -say, are poor people bad- http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=58865&highlight=poverty+danger ????


 

Hola Maria Juanita,

No. Just because you aren't rich (in terms of money) does not mean that you come from a bad family. On the contrary, the poor outnumber the rich worldwide and I am sure the rich lack many of the humane qualities of the poor - kindness, compassion, caring for each other, giving to each other without a second thought.

What you must remember is that the term 'de buena familia' is also used internationally. Here in England it loosely refers to the middle or upper classes who are generally better educated and thus are able to get better paid jobs. Their social skills are greater too - that's if you consider knowing which cutlery to use for a certain type of food, which wine glass is correct for a particular wine, etc. to be of importance. I'm happy with one knife. one fork and any old glass - but then I'm a bit eccentric!  To be 'de buena familia' (or rich) is no indication of how good one might be as a person. Indeed, many rich people acquire their wealh by means of corrupt business practices and crime. They are certainly not 'gente bien'. They don't care whom they hurt in their pursuit of wealth.

So take heart, Maria Juanita, you may not be rich but I'd bet you are a lot better than many of those who are.  

Warm wishes,


La Reine V


----------



## Lavinia.dNP

Here are two funny french euphemisms to say "I'm going to the toilet":

 Je vais au jardin (I'm going to the garden), and here the meaning is quite obvious, since in ancient times people actually went to the garden

Je vais voir St Pierre (I'm going to see St Peter), this one sounds to me as if St Peter was in the toilet : a little bit strange.


----------



## mirandolina

A Belgian friend taught me "Je vais chez Jules"!


----------



## indigofire1230

Another English euphemism for "bathroom" I noticed never came up "washroom". However I'm not sure if this is just a Canadian euphemism or not.

The time I made a trip to Missouri, I remember asking someone working where I was where the "washroom" was, and he was very confused until I rephrased and said "restroom" instead. Then again, it could also be used in parts of America and not others, and I have no idea about any other English-speaking countries, as so far I've only traveled between here and the United States.  

I know in Canada, restroom is understood, but not used very often. Usually just bathroom and washroom are used in everyday language.

So in Canada, washroom = bathroom


----------



## comu_nacho

And it's a bathroom even if it does not have anything to "bath" in it, just a hole in the floor.


----------



## xmarabout

mirandolina said:


> A Belgian friend taught me "Je vais chez Jules"!


We also use "_je vais là où le Roi va tout seul_ !"


----------



## Mastoc

Daño colateral = Asesinato de inocentes

Ministerio de Defensa = Ministerio de Guerra

Guerra preventiva = Asesinatos en masa sorpresivos

Quiero que seamos amigos = No te quiero ver más


----------



## catlady60

Mastoc said:


> Daño colateral = Asesinato de inocentes


Same thing in English: Collateral damage = murder of noncombatants.



Mastoc said:


> Ministerio de Defensa = Ministerio de Guerra


Department of Defense = Department of War (and the Department of the Navy).
Origins: the Department of War and the Department of the Navy were merged to form the Department of Defense



Mastoc said:


> Guerra preventiva = Asesinatos en masa sorpresivos


Preemptive strike = unprovoked mass murder.



Mastoc said:


> Quiero que seamos amigos = No te quiero ver más


Let's just be friends = It's over--I don't want to see you anymore.


----------



## rusita preciosa

Mastoc said:


> Quiero que seamos amigos = No te quiero ver más





catlady60 said:


> Let's just be friends = It's over--I don't want to see you anymore.


Good one!


----------



## Mastoc

"Rusita preciosa" is an euphemism or that's what you really are?


----------



## rusita preciosa

Mastoc said:


> "Rusita preciosa" is an euphemism or that's what you really are?


Euphemism. In reality I'm a group of Australian middle-aged gentlemen.


----------



## Mastoc

Oh! Sorry.


----------



## rusita preciosa

Mastoc said:


> Oh! Sorry.


No prob - easy mistake to make


----------



## koniecswiata

"We should do lunch some time." =  Good Bye

"Yes" = can mean "no", especially in British English

"Interesting" = I don't like it

"issue" = problem

"good" (as in "this is good.") = I don't like it

Anglophone culture tends to be conflict-averse I would say.


----------



## catlady60

Economically depressed area = slum or ghetto.

Extraordinary rendition = sending a prisoner to another country to be tortured.

Challenge = problem

Intellectually challenged = mentally retarded


----------



## ewie

koniecswiata said:


> "Yes" = can mean "no", especially in British English


_Virtually everything_ means the opposite of what it's supposed to mean in British English, Koniec


----------



## Agró

koniecswiata said:


> "Yes" = can mean "no", especially in British English _womanish..._


----------



## Fernando

Heard in WR forums:

- If a diplomat says 'Yes' he means 'Maybe'
- If a diplomat says 'Maybe' he means 'No' 
- If a diplomat says 'No' he is not a diplomat.

- If a lady says 'No' she means 'Maybe'
- If a lady says 'Maybe' she means 'Yes' 
- If a lady says 'Yes' she is not a lady.


----------



## germanbz

Nowadays we are currently attending in Spain to an incredible explosion of a involved vocabulary related to bad economic news or tax increase measures by last governments. For example the thing could be this way to say: *The government has taken the decision to raise VAT by 2%*. 
Such a sentence would finish  something like: _
In order to adjust rates to the new circumstances and harmonize them in the european context, it has been  taken the provisional measure of setting in a small percentage certain indirect taxes on consumer goods that in any case will not be perceived by most of the society_


----------



## Pedro y La Torre

indigofire1230 said:


> Another English euphemism for "bathroom" I noticed never came up "washroom". However I'm not sure if this is just a Canadian euphemism or not.
> 
> The time I made a trip to Missouri, I remember asking someone working where I was where the "washroom" was, and he was very confused until I rephrased and said "restroom" instead. Then again, it could also be used in parts of America and not others, and I have no idea about any other English-speaking countries, as so far I've only traveled between here and the United States.
> 
> I know in Canada, restroom is understood, but not used very often. Usually just bathroom and washroom are used in everyday language.
> 
> So in Canada, washroom = bathroom



Washroom is definitely a Canadianism, but one that makes sense, kind of.
Asking a Canadian "where is the toilet?" seems to always provoke a rather hilarious look of horror.

English Canadians are a prudish bunch.


----------



## wildan1

Pedro y La Torre said:


> Washroom is definitely a Canadianism, but one that makes sense, kind of.
> Asking a Canadian "where is the toilet?" seems to always provoke a rather hilarious look of horror.


Yes, _"Where is the toilet?"_ is a question asked in North America only by the plumber--it refers to the actual porcelain appliance gracing the room.

_Washroom_ is specifically Canadian. In the US we call it the _restroom_ (always a public location) or _bathroom_ (public or at home).


----------



## rolmich

In french, we have a very poetic version of "has left us/is not with us anymore" :
_Manger les pissenlits par la racine _and its english equivalent _To push up daisies._


----------



## wanderingk

He/she is no longer with us- he/she died
He/she is in a better place- he/she died
Streetwalker- prostitute
Alternative lifestyles- homosexuality

I second that, by definition, euphemisms are nice ways to talk about unpleasant or non-socially acceptable topics, especially with people you don’t know well or need to be formal with (because you don’t know how they would react to the common way of saying it). Think job interviews or gatherings with great aunts you never see. So, fun slang that you say among friends is different.


----------



## jasio

rolmich said:


> In french, we have a very poetic version of "has left us/is not with us anymore" :
> _Manger les pissenlits par la racine _and its english equivalent _To push up daisies._



That's interesting... in Polish there is a similar phrase "Wąchać kwiatki od spodu" ('to smell flowers from below'), but it's considered to be rather not elegant slang, perhaps even with some (formerly) criminal conotations. I wouldn't say this way about my granny anyway.


----------



## rolmich

I do not know what happened with me when I said "a very poetic version" (this was in 2012, I was still a kid and I should be excused) 
The truth is that it is a pretty macabre joke for someone who has left us.
BTW it is used in Jean-Paul Sartre's _La mort dans l'âme._


----------



## jasio

rolmich said:


> I do not know what happened with me when I said "a very poetic version" (this was in 2012, I was still a kid and I should be excused)
> The truth is that it is a pretty macabre joke for someone who has left us.
> BTW it is used in Jean-Paul Sartre's _La mort dans l'âme._



Ah... I didn't notice that this thread was already resting in peace in its eternal sleep.  

Sorry to bother you then.


----------



## rhitagawr

There must be loads connected with warfare. _Friendly fire _or _blue on blue _- firing at your own people because you've failed to identify them. _Collateral damage _- killing civilians and blowing their houses up.


----------



## caelum

Tirarse las patas has always been my favourite death euphemism en castellano.


----------



## sergio11

caelum said:


> Tirarse las patas has always been my favourite death euphemism en castellano.


It is not "tirarse las patas,"
 but "estirar la pata."  I am sure you will find at least one or two threads on this expression in the forum.  This is one of them:

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=10988


----------



## caelum

sergio11 said:


> It is not "tirarse las patas,"
> but "estirar la pata."  I am sure you will find at least one or two threads on this expression in the forum.  This is one of them:
> 
> http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=10988



Vale, estirar.

The word "vagina" is a good one too. It originally meant "a sheath for a sword" in Latin, which was used euphemistically to refer to ladies' parts; and now it's the scientific term for it, and people have other euphemisms to allude to the original euphemism.


----------



## xpmrz

Here are few euphemisms in Vietnamese  :



*đi vệ sinh nặng* : to defecate ( politeness  ) , literally : to do hygiene heavily 
*đi vệ sinh nhẹ*   : to urinate (politeness), lirerally : to do hygiene lightly 
*đã mất* : died (formal ) , literally : has been lost 
*từ trần* : died (formal),  literally : to leave earth 
*quy tiên* : died (formal), literally : to become fairy 
*đi xa*  : died ( formal ) literally : to go far away 
*đi vào giấc ngủ ngàn thu* : died ( formal, poetic ) literally : to go into the 1000-autumm sleep . 
*thăng * : died, (informal)  literally : to fly high 
*băng hà* : died ( only used for king or likewise ) literally : well, it's quite hard to translate. I think it is a borrowed word from Chinese. Băng means ice, hà means river. But they can have other meaning. However, I can't find a proper literal translation yet 
*ngắm gà khoả thân* : died ( in a humorous manner ) literally : to look at naked chicken. In our culture, when someone died, they are worshiped. Every year, on the day they died, people boil a chicken and put it on the altar. So to say  
*đi gặp cụ Các-mác, Lê-nin* : same above, humorous manner   literally: to meet Mach, Lenin . They are 2 communist revolutionaries. Our country is communism .  
*chim* : male genital   literally : bird ( I don't know why, but we just say that ) 
*bướm* : female genital  literally : butterfly 

Just list some. As you can see, Vietnamese has an enormous vocabulary for a single meaning : to die . I think in whatever language, the topic of euphemism is normally about death , sexual organs, activities and hygienic things. And Vietnamese is not an exception


----------



## Angelo di fuoco

wanderingk said:


> Alternative lifestyles- homosexuality



Which reminds me of the (Soviet) Russian "non-traditional (sexual) orientation" or "non-traditional (sexual) relations", which is used primarily as a euphemism for homosexuality, but can mean anything that is not heterosexual - LGBT and more. Now, I think, world-famous, thanks to a law recently passed by the Russian parlament.



caelum said:


> Vale, estirar.
> 
> The word "vagina" is a good one too. It originally meant "a sheath for a sword" in Latin, which was used euphemistically to refer to ladies' parts; and now it's the scientific term for it, and people have other euphemisms to allude to the original euphemism.



Is vulva a euphemism or not? Is cunnus one?



xpmrz said:


> *đi gặp cụ Các-mác, Lê-nin* : same above, humorous manner literally: to meet Mach, Lenin . They are 2 communist revolutionaries. Our country is communism .
> 
> *chim* : male genital literally : bird ( I don't know why, but we just say that )
> *bướm* : female genital literally : butterfly


Mach should be Marx.
In Italian a euphemism for the male genital organ is "uccello", which also means "bird".
Don't know what euphemism they use for the female genital organ.


----------



## franknagy

> golden years---old age


There is a related Hungarian phrase: _"napsugaras öregség"="sun-rayed old age"_.
The old lady who take care by brother and me told us that who found out this phrase was idiot.



> For death...
> bite the big one
> bite the dust
> buy the farm



The start and the end verbs of the human life have the biggest number of synonyms and euphemisms - I think not only in Hungarian.


----------



## Apollodoros

An often used one in Slovak is:

*Price adjustment vs. price increase.*

Slovak: _Zvýšenie cien vs. Úprava cien_

Not sure about other language but companies in Slovakia (and the government in the communist Czechoslovakia before) almost never speak about increase of prices, only about price adjustments.


----------



## franknagy

> Here are two funny french euphemisms to say "I'm going to the toilet":
Hungarian: "I'm going where even the king is going on foot".


----------



## franknagy

Euphemism from the years of WWII when Germany was already retiring:
_We have straightened our front line._
We are beset:
_Hedgehog-position._


----------



## franknagy

Hungarian dead person smell the the flower *violet* from below.

Alulról szagolja az* ibolyá*t.

This saying can be referred only to a hated gone.
Some other versions for the death of a hated person:
"Beadta a kulcsot." = "He/she has given the key in."
"Kipurcant."
"Kinyiffant." } He/she has pegged out.

===========================================================================
Funny versions for neutral persons:
"Letette a kanalat." = He/she has put down the spoon."

Folkish archaism (think of the boards of the coffin under the earth):
"Elment Földvárra deszkát árulni." = "He has gone to Earthcastle to sell board."

===========================================================================
If the gone person was *a respected one* the we say:
"Jobblétre szenderült." = "He/she has dropped to a better life."
"Elhunyt." = "Parted."


----------



## Hacha

LV4-26 said:


> As for the "going to the toilet" :
> And how about this french one "prendre un jaune chez Jacob"
> (because most urinals are made by a company called _Jacob-Delafon)_


A very similar one in Spanish, "ir a ver al señor Roca" (to go see Mr. Roca).



Like an Angel said:


> También les dicen: *Tarzán de maceta* , pero no se preocupen, he escuchado por allí que lo bueno viene en envase chico -aunque el veneno también... que por cierto es muy efectivo -


Entre los círculos jóvenes y tecnológicos he escuchado "ser un .rar" o "ser la versión comprimida" (en referencia a WinRar, programa que se usa para comprimir archivos).


----------



## MateuszMoś

Hello, if someone is interested in euphemisms -I wrote a diploma project about them and I can send it by e-mail to whom it may concern. 
I allow myself to post an excerpt from my diploma project.


4. Formation of euphemisms
There are numerous ways of creating euphemisms. The purpose of the below-mentioned
processes, transformations, modifications or figures of speech is to delete profanities
and deprive the expressions of vanity. Moreover, these changes make the harshness of
the expressions go unnoticed while listening to them. Unfortunately, it is inevitable that
old euphemistic expressions are falling into oblivion and disuse day by day and new
ones are being created in order to substitute for them and generate verbal freshness.
(Keyes 2010: 229)

The formation of euphemisms can be described as the following:

· Shortening or clipping the term aims at depriving it of vanity and blasphemy, for
instance, "Jeez” for Jesus, “Gosse” for God or “darn” for damn. (Keyes 2010:
34).

· Acronym is created from the first letters of a certain expression. In the formation
of euphemism, the first letters of a crude expression are taken out and then
combine one with another in order not to express rudeness or political
incorrectness. Acronym is always applied to diseases. For instance, “VD” which
stands for venereal disease; this is commonly used to temporarily absorb the
shock of a patient. (http://blog.sina.com.cn)

· The employment of analogy is attached significant importance when it comes to
calling a certain profession. By the device of analogy, it prettifies the titles of
some indecent occupations, show deference to them and live up to society’s
expectations. The word “engineer” originally refers to a person who controls an
engine of a machine. The analogy lies in the fact that every blue-collar worker
has to operate or utilize a certain item or tool which, indeed, indicates that they
are “engineers of the tools”. In euphemism, the word “engineer” is deeply
embedded, for instance, an “custodian engineer” is in fact, trash cleaner; a
“domestic engineer” stands for a maid, and an “automobile engineer” denotes a
car mechanic. (http://blog.sina.com.cn)

· Shift of person can be found as a euphemistic device because it may make the
person feel at ease. For instance, when a doctor says in hospital to a patient:
“How do we feel today”, it suggests that the doctor is protective and kind
towards the patient. Therefore, the patient has stronger reliance upon the doctor
than previously. (http://blog.sina.com.cn)

· Using the first letter and add the word “word” aims at mentioning a forbidden
word or dissimulating the meaning of the prohibited or socially unacceptable
one, for instance, the “F-word” for fuck. (Keyes 2010: 19)

· Mispronunciations aims at softening the meaning, for instance, “Oh my Gosh”
for Oh my God or “Be-yotch” for bitch. (http://www.reddit.com)


· Ambiguous statements, metonymy or substitution aim at replacing an dirty word
with an acceptable one, for instance, “do” for defecate, kill, murder or other
disputable activities. (Keyes 2010: 17)

· Using a personal name to refer to an intimate part of people’s body, for instance,
“Willy”, “Dick”, “Peter” for a penis. (Keyes 2010: 88)

· Employing the word “challenged” to face life at a disadvantage, for instance,
“visually challenged” for blind, “intellectually challenged” for stupid, “vertically
challenged” for a dwarf, “financially challenged” for a pauper and “parentally
challenged” for an extremely disobedient youngster. (Holder 2008: 117)

· Employing litotes or reverse understatements to express positive words by using
negative of their antonyms, for instance, “not bad” for good, or “not unhappy”
for happy. (http://www.merriam-webster.com)

· Resorting to professional jargon aims at avoiding embarrassment in the public
places or during the events, for instance, “prophylactic” instead of condom.
(Keyes 2010: 17-18)

· Borrowing words from other languages plays a key role in using terms that are
less encumbered with negative associations, for instance, “halitosis” for bad
breath. (http://xmujpkc.xmu.edu.cn)

· Widening, method of upgrading expressions, for instance, “wind-energy drying
device” for clothesline. (Keyes 2010: 10)

· Event-based euphemisms, with reference to this point Keyes says:

Such euphemisms have meaning only to those familiar with their
context. During the 1970s, for example, discussing Uganda became a
way of describing sexual activity among swinging Londoners. This
alluded to a story popular at the time that involved a young couple
who made love in an upstairs bedroom during a party in someone
else’s flat. When asked later what they’d been doing, the young
woman said, “Discussing situation in Uganda”. (Keyes 2010: 25).

Additionally, there are some debatable terms which are believed to be
euphemisms, however, they are found to be politically correct names for diseases, for
instance, visual impairment which denotes that somebody’s sight is poor. Moreover,
there are some syntax devices which can significantly contribute to abating the tone of
expressions, however, they are not considered to be euphemisms or euphemistic
expressions. Among these devices we can number: employing The Past Tense – instead
of using: “Can you…?”; we may use: “Could you”. Employing opposite expressions
and introducing the word “please”, for instance, it is far better to use: “Please lower
your voice” than: “Don’t shout so loudly”. (http://www.gov.uk)


----------



## franknagy

*Hungarian euphemimisms:*
He/she died
Elment Földvárra deszkát árulni. = He/she went away to Earth Castle do sell planks.
Beadta a kulcsot. = He/she gave in the key.
Kifingott. ~ He let out his last farth.
... and many more ...
Loo
vécé, klotyó, retyó;
budi = loo without water
árnyékszék = [shadow stool] = loo without water
pottyantós =  a simple hole a two marks for your legs
...
Strange situation
Úgy került bele, mint Pilátus a Krédóba. = He/she fell there unattendedly. 
Úgy hiányzott nekem, mint üveges tótnak a hanyattesés. = I missed it like the glass-seller Slovak the falling on his back. [
[These wandering merchants were holding the glass tables on their back.]
Ez bebaszott nekünk, mint Trójának a faló. = That fucked us like the wooden horse to Troy.
...
Crazy
Féleszű = half-minded
félnótás = half-song
félcédulás = half-labelled

Elmentek otthonról? = У вас нет дома? 

You are as stupid as = Olyan hülye vagy, mint ...
... hat pár rendőrcsizma = six pairs of police boots,
... a seggem szüretkor = my arse at harvest time.

Finally about claiming person
Úgy sír, mint a fürdős kurva. = She is weeping like the bath whore.


----------



## rolmich

In french we have "moyen" (average) but with the meaning "bad/under average".
_- Comment as-tu trouvé ce film ?
- Bof.... très moyen._


----------



## franknagy

> "tirarse las patas,"


En Húngaro se dice casí mismo: "Feldobta a talpát." 
Se tiró la planta del su pie.


----------



## jasio

Sorry if off-topic, but I am just curious:



franknagy said:


> Finally about claiming person
> Úgy sír, mint a fürdős kurva. = She is weeping like the bath whore.



Is the last word a regular one, or a nasty one?

I'm asking because there is exactly the same word in Polish, with (perhaps almost) exactly the same meaning, with only slightly different spelling, but it's not normally used among cultural people, if you know what I mean.  If someone wants to refer to it, may use an euphemism (  ) "słowo na 'k'" (= 'a k-word'). 

How is it like in Hungarian?

PS. Why a 'bath'?


----------



## Kaxgufen

rolmich said:


> In french, we have a very poetic version of "has left us/is not with us anymore" :
> _Manger les pissenlits par la racine _and its english equivalent _To push up daisies._



Nosotros decimos: mirar crecer los rabanitos desde abajo.


----------



## Kaxgufen

xpmrz said:


> Here are few euphemisms in Vietnamese  :
> 
> 
> 
> *đi vệ sinh nặng* : to defecate ( politeness  ) , literally : to do hygiene heavily
> *đi vệ sinh nhẹ*   : to urinate (politeness), lirerally : to do hygiene lightly
> ...



En la escuela se pedia permiso para ir al bano diciendo "a una cosa" = orinar, "a dos cosas"= orinar y defecar.
De allí nacieron dos expresiones nuevas: "hacer del uno" y "hacer del dos"

Una que yo especialmente detesto es el eufemismo para alcohólico = "tiene problemas con la bebida".

Para leves retrasos mentales o ligeros problemas psiquiatricos: 

No tiene todos los patitos en fila.
Le falta un jugador.
No tiene todos los fosforos en la cajita.
Le falta un gajo en la mandarina.
Le patina.


----------



## franknagy

> How is it like in Hungarian?


Euphemism for whore:
pillangó = butterfly



> PS. Why a 'bath'?


I don't know.


----------



## franknagy

The form of crude refusal in Hungarian is: "Lófaszt!" = "Конихуй". "Ló"=horse.
The euphemisms contain the word for horse in children's language "paci", and euphemistic words about the sexual organ of the stallion or the word "himbál" ="to sway". "Pej" is a the color pattern of horses "bay".

Lópimpili.
Pacipimpili.
Pejpacipimpili.
Amit a paci himbál! =What the gee-gee is swaying.


----------

