Dakota Beacon

Americans possess a language rich in metaphors and similes. Our language is filled with idioms, euphemisms, and plain old fashion jargon.

Why not just talk straight? Why not “tell it like it is?” Consciously or unconsciously we like to play with words. We evade coyly, speak obliquely, and toy with our language.

An idiom is a word or phrase where the meaning may or may not be guessed from its component words. It is “raining cats and dogs” or “we see the light.” A euphemism, on the other hand, is a type of idiom used to say something unpleasant, rude, or just too direct to mention specifically. Euphemisms evade plain speaking. Euphemisms substitute a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive. They replace taboo or uncouth expressions with other less coarse terms. They can make a harsh reality appear natural or normal.

In another sense, euphemisms are a way of “speaking shorthand” via incomplete thoughts. They may reflect lazy or sloppy thinking or simply an inadequate command of the English language.

The art of the euphemism is never having to call a spade a spade. The etymology of the word “euphemism” tells us that the word derived from the Greek in two parts. “Eu” means “good” and “pheme” means “speaking.” So now we have a manner of “good speaking.”

Without making too fine a point, euphemisms free us from vulgarity and rudeness when discussing sexual matters and bodily functions. People “make love,” politely refer to “private parts” and “go to the toilet.” The same holds true for death, war, and disability.

On the other hand, there are objections to the use of euphemisms when employed to deceive people. In this regard, euphemisms may be used to hide otherwise simple and straightforward words. Political strategy and bureaucratic policy can be particularly irksome when couched in euphemisms.

If “senior citizen” refers to an older person, should we use “junior citizen” to identify a younger person?

Someone doesn’t just die. They “pass away” or “kick the bucket.”

An illicit drug is no longer dope. It is an “illegal substance.” A person using an “illegal substance” is not an addict. That person is a “substance abuser.”

Euphemisms may be pretentious when pandering to fragile sensibilities. This is especially true in the tortured verbiage of political correctness. We use the term “Black-American” but seldom, if ever, use the term “White-American,” “Red American,” or any other hyphenated American. And wouldn’t “Native-American” pertain to anyone born in America regardless of race? Otherwise, to which country might they be native?

Beggars and panhandlers become “the homeless.” A pornographic film is an “adult movie.” Illegal immigrants are “undocumented workers.” A used or second-hand car is “pre-owned.”

The euphemism is the language of appeal, of nuance, of delicate phrasing. Salesmen (“product representatives?”) and advertisers adroitly manipulate language to influence prospective customers.

Idiomatically, propagandists try to rouse their target audience with vivid, emotional, and suggestive euphemisms. They may raise the euphemism to an art form.

Euphemisms become cynical when used to cover or conceal the misappropriation of funds, illegal behavior, and unethical activities. Companies don’t fire people. They “let them go” or place them on “administrative leave.” Nor do companies engage in layoffs. Rather, they “downsize” or conduct “involuntary separations.”

Politicians employ euphemisms in the “gentle sell” to sway their audience and to endear them to voters. Consider the “Affordable Care Act.” Federal, state, and local governments give euphemisms a bad name when they use language to obfuscate. As master craftsmen of euphemisms, government agencies tend to grind out verbal inversions of exquisite quality.

The term “Internal Revenue Service” makes no reference to tax gathering. The Department of Education does not educate. The previous designation of War Department is now the Department of Defense.

We refer to soldiers sent into combat as “peacekeepers.” An intercontinental ballistic missile bears the same name -- Peacekeeper. And the United Nations is anything but united.

Since World War I we have progressed from “shell shock” to “combat fatigue” (WW II) to the contemporary phrase “post traumatic stress disorder” (PTSD). They generally mean the same thing.

I have a granddaughter who, from the time she could first speak, enjoyed playing with words. She still does and remembers when I told her, “When you are finished playing with words, be sure to put them back on the shelf. You can play with them again later.”

English is a rich and versatile language. Recognizing euphemisms can be fun. Understanding euphemisms may protect us from deceit.

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).