euphemisms
Look at other dictionaries:
Euphemisms — career change opportunity fuzzword opposition research regime change social expression product to meet Marx uninstalled … New words
Euphemisms — Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, the decision was made by the Nazis to implement the Final Solution. The Schutzstaffel (SS), headed by Heinrich Himmler, was the Reich agency responsible for making German occupied … Historical dictionary of the Holocaust
euphemisms — eu·phe·mism || juËfɪmɪzÉ™m n. substitution of a milder or socially acceptable word or phrase for one that is harsher or more unpleasant … English contemporary dictionary
backward — 1. very stupid Educational jargon which indicates more than doing poorly in a class of normal children. Lay people use backward of adults who are slowwitted or illiterate. 2. poor or uncivilized It is used of sovereign states. The… … How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms
bathroom — American a lavatory In the long line of euphemisms which associate washing with urination and defecation: ... asked where the bathroom was. The restroom was filthy. (Diehl, 1978 and what was the lavatory like?) Whence bathroom… … How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms
break the news — American to obtain a confession or other information through violence The victim is made aware of the extent of his predicament: Breaking the news ... and numerous other phrases are employed by the police... as euphemisms to express… … How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms
cow brute — obsolete American a bull A usage from the days when a bull was too overtly sexual to talk about. For a list of similar euphemisms, see big animal … How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms
cross-bar hotel — American a prison Prisons are described as hotels in various underworld euphemisms. In this punning usage, the bar secures the gate. A cross bar apartment is a cell: Preparing to move into a crossbar apartment on the Green Mile did… … How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms
delayering — dismissing employees Literally, dispensing with a layer of management in a hierarchical organization: These seismic changes effect everyone, but the most vulnerable are older people, ambushed in mid career by strategies that mask their… … How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms
delicate — obsolete suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis One of the 19th century euphemisms for the common disease: The brother died young. He was delicate. (Flanagan, 1988, writing in 19th century style) Today a delicate condition… … How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms
