Almost every day you will hear someone using a euphemism. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the word is "a mild or pleasant word or phrase that is used instead of one that is unpleasant or offensive." Whether people are talking about weight ( he has a few extra pounds) or pornography (adult material), euphemisms are a huge part of our life. The question I have is simply why? Humans have shown an enormous capacity for evil, particularly murdering (excuse me, "erasing") our fellow humans, not even to mention our atrocities against wildlife, so why say things the way they are, for better or for worse?
Sometimes these euphemisms make it easier for us to accept the cruelty or unfairness of everyday life. For a religious Christian, it may be consoling to think of a loved one (particularly a child who's died before his/her time) as "sleeping with Jesus" rather than dead and six feet underground in a pine box. On the other hand, euphemisms can be even more sinister than coming out and saying "he was killed." Looking to mob slang, saying that a rival is "sleeping with the fishes" or "on the wrong side of the grass" gives one anything but warm or fuzzy feelings and makes you think twice about messing with the Corleones down the way.
Using this type of figurative speech can also be even more funny than being blunt. Why say that you had to pay your taxes when you can say you voluntarily redistributed wealth? People are likely to know what you're talking about, and if they don't you're given the opportunity to explain. Either way, they get a laugh and may even pass it on.
In the end, maybe euphemisms just give us humans an outlet for our creativity, something like art,music or poetry, and allows us to express ourselves. And just like any of these outlets, I bet you can judge what's going on in a person's mind by the euphemisms he or she uses.
Very interesting point here Ben. This made me realize how commonly euphemism is used. I agree with your closing statement, that euphemism gives us an "outlet of creativity." Everyone wants to think that they are a creative, and I think that by using euphemism they do so in somewhat of an effortless manor. Half the euphemisms we use are commonly used phrases. Therefore, maybe it's true that even though we're sounding creative by using them, we actually aren't being all that imaginative. Regardless, the answer to your question here eludes me. I couldn't tell you for sure why we use euphemism. If I had to guess, I'd say it's because, although humans are a little bit savage, we hate hearing things that are negative. We love hearing good news. So I guess you could say making the bad news sound a little bit mild goes a long way for us mentally.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I hate euphemisms. I'm an honest person by nature, and I like to say things the way they are. It's almost inappropriate for me to say, "My grandfather's dead," in normal conversation. It's the truth, so why do I have to put it lightly? Manoli definitely has a point about how we as humans like to hide from our savage instincts, but after all, we're animals, and we have to accept that sometime. I like that you noted that euphemisms could be an art form, which is true, but I feel that it fits better in poetry and writing than in everyday conversation.
ReplyDeleteI think people use euphemisms to get their points across whether they are being funny or serious. It reveals a part of the person's personality and sense of humor. Euphemisms were more common in past generations than they are now.
ReplyDeleteVery good post, Ben. It reminds me of George Carlin's "Soft Language" act, in which Carlin recalls that the condition when a soldier's nervous system was nearing collapse used to be called "shell shock." This was a hard, direct phrase that accurately portrayed what it was attempting to describe. However, over time, the horrible "shell shock" was watered down and came to be known as "post-traumatic stress disorder." Carlin argues that the pain behind shell shock is now completely buried under jargon. He goes on to say that if we'd still been calling the disorder "shell shock" in the 1970's, Vietnam war veterans suffering from the condition might have gotten the medical attention they needed.
ReplyDeleteI've always been fascinated by this topic. There are two schools of thought on this. Bill Lutz, one of my old professors, wrote the book (literally) on the phenomenon he calls doublespeak. He argues that euphemism has gotten out of control and interferes with communication. And Comedian George Carlin (who read that book) famously complains about euphemism in many of his routines.
ReplyDeleteThe other side of the argument is lead by linguist Stephen Pinker. He argues that dialogue consists of layers. And while euphemism may be a less efficient way of communicating what's on the surface of our speech, it is a necessary part of this second layer -the one that deals with respect, ego, reputation, etc. Think about a date that might end with the question: "Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?" In this case, coffee rarely means coffee, but the euphemism here protects the reputation of each party involved, gives the asker a free pass if the other party isn't interested in "a cup of coffee," and allows the person being asked to let down the asker easy. "No coffee for me, thanks" is a lot easier to handle than, "No, I'd rather not spend any more time with you this evening."