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DENNIS PATRICK: PLAYING WITH WORDS |
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.
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