Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with euphemism

linguistic/social device

ebesan — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:09:58 -0800

What do you call this linguistic/social device? You are in a social situation, and want to get out. You say maybe, 'I'm going to be late for a meeting', when both people KNOW there is no meeting. But since you are being SO OBVIOUS, you are, in effect, telling them you are leaving. By being obvious, you are not evading, or lying, you are being creatively blunt. In the same way, you are in a group, and do not like the way the conversation is going.
You interrupt with 'and what do you people think about the new fed reserve policy'.....OBVIOUSLY changing the discussion...in fact, killing the previous, and saying, in effect, I am sick of this and am changing it.
My question is 2-fold.
What do you call this maneuver; and why do so many people miss it?
Like a subtle joke, so many just look at you and say, 'what?'

Close your barn door!

amyms — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:35:44 -0800

I need some fun and creative euphemisms for telling someone his/her fly is open. A search revealed this previous question, but it was more geared toward being subtle and polite (although there are some good ones in there). I want to compile a list that includes everything from polite to vulgar, but preferably light-hearted and silly. Regionalisms and foreign languages are welcome too. Among a group of my friends, "your fly is open" has become kind of an inside joke and a catch-all phrase for anything embarrassing, and we're running out of ways to say it.

Birds do it, Bees do it...

amyms — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:24:16 -0800

Is (or was, since it sounds quaint now) the phrase "the birds and the bees" mostly an American thing or is it also used in other english-speaking countries as a euphemism in reference to sex education. What other euphemisms or idioms are used around the world within the context of sex education (not formal sex education in a classroom setting, more along the lines of "The Talk" parents have with their kids). I'm interested in phrases used in other languages too.

Pretty harsh words

LobsterMitten — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:45:25 -0800

Seeking a word: Is there a term other than "euphemism" for couching an insult in fancy-sounding words, so your insult sounds less harsh to the inattentive ear? A student of mine is confused about what "euphemisms" are. The example we're looking at is "Mr. Jones is a notorious zealot". To my student, those words are unfamiliar, so he feels like they are cloaking the speaker's true insult in $10 words. Now, "notorious zealot" isn't a euphemism. In fact it's a harsh thing to say. But is there a word for what my student is getting at -- dressing up one's insults?

Hey, Baldy!

DandyRandy — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 16:02:18 -0800

I need some euphemisms for a bald head. After 'chrome dome' and 'cue ball' I'm coming empty. Know any good ones?

Why is it beef, not cow?

5MeoCMP — Sun, 04 Dec 2005 16:06:00 -0800

Why do we use euphemistic names for some kinds of meat? For example:

chicken -> chicken
duck -> duck
horse -> "horse meat"
cow -> beef, veal
pig -> pork, bacon
sheep -> lamb, mutton

Why don't we call cow meat "cow" instead of beef? Even stranger, I've noticed some (primarily American) media referring to cows as beef. Is this primarily a distaste-with-talking-about-killing-and-eating, or something else? When did it start?

Bonus: can you think of other euphemistic meat names (collect them all!)

Good words for private parts?

jojopizza — Tue, 17 May 2005 12:26:06 -0800

It strikes me that English doesn't have any good words for genitalia. I attribute this to our repressed culture. Any words for our naughty parts are either porn words, schoolkid words, or clinical. Can anyone think of some good words for the privates? (Obviously there will be some raw language inside this question.) Oh, a third category would be the overly euphemistic.

Here's what I mean...
Female genitalia:
Vagina (clinical)
Pussy (porno/schoolkid)
From here they are all downhill, like snatch.

Male genitalia:
Penis (clinical)
Cock (porno)
Dick (porno/schoolyard)
Johnson (euphemistic)

The other part:
Anus (clinical)
Butthole (schoolyard)
Asshole (porno)
etc

I'm looking for words that would sound right if you're sitting around with your loved one having a conversation about your genitals or anus. What do you all think?