Euphemisms in Modern English
Masaryk University Brno Faculty of Education
Department of English Language and Literature
Euphemisms
Brno 2012
Author: Mgr. Kristýna Šebková
Supervisor: Mgr. Radek Vogel, PhD.
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Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor Mgr. Radek Vogel, Ph.D. for revising my thesis and his helpful and friendly attitude.
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Declaration I hereby declare that this paper is completely my own work and that I used only the sources listed in the bibliography.
.............................................................. 25 July 2012
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Annotation This paper aims to outline the bright and the dark side of euphemizing. In the increasingly complicated, globalised society, there is a rising tendency to avoid speaking directly about sensitive topics. In this atmosphere, a disturbing question arises: is the widespread overuse of euphemisms undermining our ability to recognize euphemisms used as a tool of manipulation by politicians and the media? The main focus of this thesis is exploring the use of euphemisms in public discourse and discussing the way they alter our perception of inconvenient truths.
Key words Euphemisms, political correctness, doublespeak.
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CONTENTS
1. Introduction…………………………………………………………… 6 2. Formation of euphemisms……………………………………… 8 3. Why we need to euphemize…………………………….……. 9 3.1 A euphemizing instinct……………………………………… 9 3.2 The euphemism treadmill………………………………. 10 3.3 Motives for euphemizing………………………………… 12 4. Most commonly euphemized topics……………………… 15 4.1 Religious terms ………………………………………………. 15 4.2 Death and illness…………………………………………….. 15 4.3 Sex………………………………………………………………….. 18 5. Doublespeak: The dark side of euphemisms…………. 27 5.1 Political correctness……………………………………….. 27 5.2 Doublespeak……………………………………………………. 30 5.3 Fighting back……………………………………………………. 35 6. Conclusion……………………………………………………………. 37 Works cited………………………………………………………………. 39
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1. INTRODUCTION Euphemism is usually defined as “the substitution of an
Department of English Language and Literature
Euphemisms
Brno 2012
Author: Mgr. Kristýna Šebková
Supervisor: Mgr. Radek Vogel, PhD.
1
Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor Mgr. Radek Vogel, Ph.D. for revising my thesis and his helpful and friendly attitude.
2
Declaration I hereby declare that this paper is completely my own work and that I used only the sources listed in the bibliography.
.............................................................. 25 July 2012
3
Annotation This paper aims to outline the bright and the dark side of euphemizing. In the increasingly complicated, globalised society, there is a rising tendency to avoid speaking directly about sensitive topics. In this atmosphere, a disturbing question arises: is the widespread overuse of euphemisms undermining our ability to recognize euphemisms used as a tool of manipulation by politicians and the media? The main focus of this thesis is exploring the use of euphemisms in public discourse and discussing the way they alter our perception of inconvenient truths.
Key words Euphemisms, political correctness, doublespeak.
4
CONTENTS
1. Introduction…………………………………………………………… 6 2. Formation of euphemisms……………………………………… 8 3. Why we need to euphemize…………………………….……. 9 3.1 A euphemizing instinct……………………………………… 9 3.2 The euphemism treadmill………………………………. 10 3.3 Motives for euphemizing………………………………… 12 4. Most commonly euphemized topics……………………… 15 4.1 Religious terms ………………………………………………. 15 4.2 Death and illness…………………………………………….. 15 4.3 Sex………………………………………………………………….. 18 5. Doublespeak: The dark side of euphemisms…………. 27 5.1 Political correctness……………………………………….. 27 5.2 Doublespeak……………………………………………………. 30 5.3 Fighting back……………………………………………………. 35 6. Conclusion……………………………………………………………. 37 Works cited………………………………………………………………. 39
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1. INTRODUCTION Euphemism is usually defined as “the substitution of an
Cited: Hunt, K. M. “Biblical Euphemisms for Sexual Activity”. Restitution of All Things. keithhunt.com. May 2007. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. OffbeatMOG . “165 Sex Euphemisms”. AMOG|Alpha Male of the Group. AMOG, 05 Dec. 2008. amog.com. Web. 19 Feb. 2012. O’Neill, Ben Orwell, George. “Politics and the English Language”. mla.stanford.edu. 2005-2006. Web. 25 May 2012. PDF file. Pinker, Steven. “The Game of the Name”. The New York Times, 3 Apr. 1994. stevenpinker.com. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. PDF file. Postman, Neil. “Euphemism”. Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk. myclass.peelschools.org. Web. 20 Jan. 2012. PDF file.