# Euphemisms I hate **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 6, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612 "2013-05-06T13:52:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![colander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@colander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colander)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/81 "2013-05-07T22:09:41Z")
I personally will not rest until we start calling restroom stalls “shit-extruding cubicles”. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/82 "2013-05-07T22:52:21Z")
Nonretainment is the winner here for me. Absolutely the worst euphemism I’ve ever encountered. Worse than even bath tissue which is pretty fucking stupid. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/83 "2013-05-07T22:54:09Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > This curvy thing drives me crazy. > > I’m 5’7" and weight 150-155 pounds. I wear a size 10 and I’m reasonably well proportioned with a narrow waist. I consider my body type “curvy”. > > But I’ve been told that I’m slender…well “internet” slender, that is. I’m like…“no, 25 pounds ago I was slender but not anymore, now I’m curvy”. Then the response will be “you’re not fat” and I reply “I never said I was”. > > I buy most of my clothes on-line. About 2 weeks after I went from a size 8 to a 10 I began getting Plus-size catalogs in the mail, lots and lots of them…So the Internet definitely thinks I’m “internet” curvy…fat. A friend recently tried a couple dating sites. He said that “height/weight proportional” = fat, “A few extra pounds” = very fat and “curvy” = morbidly obese. He went on to say that thin generally meant somewhat overweight and that you could only trust women who put down athletic to not be overweight. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/84 "2013-05-08T01:06:29Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > “Sleep with” =/= “have sex with”. > > Big difference in those two activities. Did you ever see “I, Claudius” ? There’s a scene where Augustus, played by Brian Blessed, has a row of men lined up in front of him. Julia, his daughter, has been accused of open immorality and these men are her accused lovers. One by one Augustus asks, "did you sleep with my daughter?’ and one by one they reply “Yes, Caesar”, until one says “Well, Caesar, not _slept_” ---
**Author:** ![\_3Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b9e5f3/32.png) [@\_3Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_3Bill)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/85 "2013-05-08T05:34:24Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > For my part, the euphemism I dislike most is the newish term “passed” for “died.” For awhile the thing to say was “passed away,” but at some point 15-20 years ago, I think, people started saying just “passed,” e.g. “Grandma passed last night” or “Ah, Uncle Dave is passed now.” I make a point of never using the terms “passed” or “passed away,” in part to ensure my daughter is correctly taught to deal with death and funerals and whatnot. The terms “die,” “died” and “dead” are perfectly good ones and there is no need to use any other. You may hate it, but it is neither “newish” nor an affected way of saying “passed away.” I’ve only heard it used by older African Americans, but it may be more widespread. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/86 "2013-05-08T13:48:32Z")
On _Frasier_, Roz explains dating code words: “_Mature_ means old. _Athletic_ means flat-chested. And _not model thin_ means circus fat.” ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/87 "2013-05-08T14:21:23Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > What about “bath tissue” instead of “toilet paper”? I would argue that ‘toilet paper’ itself is a euphemism. _“Hey, we’re out of ass paper!”_ On another note… Straight man: “Did you sleep with my wife last night?” Groucho Marx: “Not a wink.” mmm ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/88 "2013-05-08T15:51:33Z")
“Hate the Euphemism, not the Euphemizer” is my motto. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/89 "2013-05-08T17:10:03Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Urgh. I got carried away by my own rant. Thanks for keeping an eye on me. > > I meant this forum within the SDM Board. I’ll bet you figured that out six minutes after you posted. Far too nice for the Pit, you obviously need more practice. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/90 "2013-05-08T18:26:48Z")
Any euphemistic reference to menstruation bugs me. “monthly visitor, Aunt Flo, etc.” You have your period. Don’t try to make it cute. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/91 "2013-05-08T18:28:25Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > What about “bath tissue” instead of “toilet paper”? It used to be bath **ROOM** tissue which was bad enough, but \*bath \*tissue? I mean, you don’t take a bath with it, as it would dissolve and leave you covered with little bits of fluff. (Which, I suppose, would then make you “fluffy”…) You could just use ‘bung wad’. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/92 "2013-05-08T19:05:22Z")
“Ethnic Cleansing” is one of those euphemisms that isn’t a euphemism any more. Like “Final Solution” or “Concentration Camp” which were coined as euphemisms but their actual meaning was so stark that they have totally lost their euphemism. Similar with “toilet”. When I read the Oz books to my kids, I have to explain that when Dorothy or Ozma “makes their toilette” it doesn’t mean they’re shitting, it means they’re washing up. It’s the old euphemism treadmill where you come up with a euphemism to describe something disagreeable, but since the disagreeable part isn’t the word but the actual thing, the euphemism eventually becomes a disagreeable word. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/93 "2013-05-08T19:36:39Z")
As I’ve bitched about before here: When did the touchy-feely “reach out” come to replace “contact,” “meet with,” “e-mail,” or any other perfectly good word? “Hey, if you need a hand, reach out to Bill.” I picture myself on bended knee with one hand out, pleading “Bill, won’t you _please_ help?” (Well, this \*has \*been close to the truth in my working life, but still). I’ve even heard it on TV, so I guess it’s a losing battle. But I refuse to use it at work, dammit. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/94 "2013-05-08T20:27:11Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Any euphemistic reference to menstruation bugs me. “monthly visitor, Aunt Flo, etc.” You have your period. Don’t try to make it cute. Meh, “period” itself is basically a euphemism for “periodic shedding of the uterine lining through the vagina”. Every word for menstruation since Old English “monthblood”, including “menstruation” itself, has been some kind of euphemism or paraphrase to emphasize the cyclic or monthly nature of the phenomenon rather than the bleeding-out-the-twat aspect. The female menstrual cycle has been on what **Lemur866** calls the “euphemism treadmill” for a **long** time. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/95 "2013-05-08T20:36:42Z")
All sex organs have names that should be used. Enough with “naughty bits” and “you-know-what.” I was sitting with a group of young men at work and one asked in all innocence “What’s phallic shaped mean?” They all looked at this 50-something old lady with a deafening silence. Finally I belted out: It means shaped like a penis. Phallic shaped means penis shaped. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/96 "2013-05-08T20:42:42Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > I always kind of liked the British verision: “Made redundant.” I don’t know about Britain, but ‘made redundant’ has a particular meaning in Australia that doesn’t exactly mean ‘you’re fired’. Being made redundant means that the company is restructuring their workforce and there will be a **number** of people walking out the door with you. You will be offered a ‘redundancy package’ (a lump-sum payout depending upon your seniority and the years you have worked for said company) and often a signed agreement that you will not seek employment in the same field for (x) years after your termination (so you don’t share trade secrets with a competitor I guess). So, being made redundant is the BEST way of getting the arse from a job. 🙂 On edit: of course, many people who have actually being \*fired \*claim to friends etc they have been made redundant to save face. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/97 "2013-05-08T20:44:22Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > “Ethnic Cleansing” is one of those euphemisms that isn’t a euphemism any more. Like “Final Solution” or “Concentration Camp” which were coined as euphemisms but their actual meaning was so stark that they have totally lost their euphemism. > > Similar with “toilet”. When I read the Oz books to my kids, I have to explain that when Dorothy or Ozma “makes their toilette” it doesn’t mean they’re shitting, it means they’re washing up. It’s the old euphemism treadmill where you come up with a euphemism to describe something disagreeable, but since the disagreeable part isn’t the word but the actual thing, the euphemism eventually becomes a disagreeable word. Doesn’t only apply to the disagreeable. My favorite example of this is when I was reading the Narnia books to my kid. Jill Pole in _The Silver Chair_ when she is trying to make nice with some person-eating giants by being cute and adorable. The phrase “She made love to everyone” is used. I had to explain that “making love” had a totally different meaning then! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/98 "2013-05-08T20:50:41Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > of course, many people who have actually being \*fired \*claim to friends etc they have been made redundant to save face. 😃 And it can be the company who does it - one former employer of mine went through the whole rigmarole of announcing a layoff, then calling people in one at a time to tell them their status. Only one got it. Turned out they were just firing the guy in a lawsuit-proof way, that also let the guy have a better chance at finding a new job. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/99 "2013-05-08T21:08:19Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Restraint? Me? As you can see, I’m short on that. > > I completely agree with “fluffy” as a euphemism for fat. In fact, I agreed with your whole post, Kimstu. How do you feel about, “AH HELL NO!!!”. That’s what I use. Learnt from here: https://www.youtube.com/embed/u5qM5kX2_C0?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612/100 "2013-05-09T00:04:19Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > No, because all newsworthy deaths are present tense, always - “Eight solders are dead tonight…” Even worse (IMO): “Eight soldiers die in battle…” > [@Uther\_Penguin](#): > > I really dislike “go to the bathroom” when it is not about a real bathroom. “I just went to the bathroom behind those bushes” is stupid. > And “Can you believe it? During our last trip, the dog went to the bathroom in our car” is far more than stupid. How about “took a shit”? In all my life I have never taken a shit. I _leave_ them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemisms-i-hate/657612.md?page=6)