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Euphemania: Our Love Affair with Euphemisms
by
Ralph Keyes
How did die become kick the bucket, underwear become unmentionables, and having an affair become hiking the Appalachian trail? Originally used to avoid blasphemy, honor taboos, and make nice, euphemisms have become embedded in the fabric of our language. EUPHEMANIA traces the origins of euphemisms from a tool of the church to a form of gentility to today's instrument of co...more
Hardcover, 278 pages
Published
December 14th 2010
by Little, Brown and Company
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I have to say Euphemania was very funny! I loved every bit of it.
What is a Euphemism?
The act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive.
Can you please give us an example?!
From the book:
"This may pinch a little"
This is my favorite and least liked widely spread Euphemism. Ralph Keyes then goes on to explain how doctors often say pinch when it really doesn't even pinch at all! I absolutely loathe it when they say pinch; not only beca...more
What is a Euphemism?
The act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive.
Can you please give us an example?!
From the book:
"This may pinch a little"
This is my favorite and least liked widely spread Euphemism. Ralph Keyes then goes on to explain how doctors often say pinch when it really doesn't even pinch at all! I absolutely loathe it when they say pinch; not only beca...more
Euphemisms are an exercise of evasion. (Aside from that sentence summarizing what I learned, it's also alliterative. Score!)
As a whole, this book was really interesting because it wasn't a simple list of euphemisms-- it delved into the etymology and history of how such phrases came to be, how euphemisms themselves were euphemized, and how some of them have become so ingrained in culture that they're the go-to word or phrase we now use. There are your obvious euphemisms (those for bodily function...more
As a whole, this book was really interesting because it wasn't a simple list of euphemisms-- it delved into the etymology and history of how such phrases came to be, how euphemisms themselves were euphemized, and how some of them have become so ingrained in culture that they're the go-to word or phrase we now use. There are your obvious euphemisms (those for bodily function...more
More a list of euphemisms than the sociological exploration of the reasons we use euphemisms I was expecting. Luckily, Keyes' basic concept is simple enough to warrant such a scanty analysis of it. We use euphemisms simply in order to soften the blow of words that are culturally loaded: words for death, sex, bodily functions, etc.
But that premise is too simple to support this book. It feels stretched, lacking a substantive perspective of culture as a whole. Language is culture, and the implicat...more
But that premise is too simple to support this book. It feels stretched, lacking a substantive perspective of culture as a whole. Language is culture, and the implicat...more
1 like · like · see review
Reviewed for THC Reviews
Lately, I've realized that I'm something of a language geek particularly in the area of etymology, so the instant I saw Euphemania, I was thoroughly intrigued and knew I wanted to read it. What I got was a fascinating study in euphemisms which intermingled the words and phrases themselves with their origins and social commentary on their use. I learned a lot of new euphemisms with which I was not familiar, as well as where many I already knew came from. The author draws o...more
Lately, I've realized that I'm something of a language geek particularly in the area of etymology, so the instant I saw Euphemania, I was thoroughly intrigued and knew I wanted to read it. What I got was a fascinating study in euphemisms which intermingled the words and phrases themselves with their origins and social commentary on their use. I learned a lot of new euphemisms with which I was not familiar, as well as where many I already knew came from. The author draws o...more
Euphemania: Our Love Affair With Euphemisms by Ralph Keyes
Published by Little, Brown and Company
ISBN 978-0-316-05656-4
At the request of The Hachette Book Group, a TPB was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Synopsis (from back of book): An entertaining look at euphemisms-where they come from, why we need them, and what they tell us about who we are.
How did "die" become kick the bucket, "underwear" become unmentionables, and "having an affair" become hiking the Appalachian Trail? Orig...more
Published by Little, Brown and Company
ISBN 978-0-316-05656-4
At the request of The Hachette Book Group, a TPB was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Synopsis (from back of book): An entertaining look at euphemisms-where they come from, why we need them, and what they tell us about who we are.
How did "die" become kick the bucket, "underwear" become unmentionables, and "having an affair" become hiking the Appalachian Trail? Orig...more
I'd never really thought much about how much I use and hear euphemisms on a day to day basis, but to read this book, it would seem that a big part of our language use is dedicated to creating, using and interpreting other ways of saying things. Euphemism is used to talk about gender, class, race, bodily functions, money, and all manner of things that make us squirm.
Some of the more interesting things I learned from this book is that most of the perfectly fine and descriptive words (think four l...more
Some of the more interesting things I learned from this book is that most of the perfectly fine and descriptive words (think four l...more
Feb 20, 2013
Joe Kapraszewski
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
People who need to find words to describe things that are taboo to talk about
This book had high expectations for me and failed to live up to them. It took long enough to get to WHY we use euphemisms, being the last chapter. Granted, there were reasons put throughout, but I would have thought this would be the FIRST topic and go from there.
I was also frustrated by the seemingly haphazard reasons as to which euphemisms are explained further and which are not. The author mentions his consternation with his first name being used as a euphemism for what is called "a reversal...more
I was also frustrated by the seemingly haphazard reasons as to which euphemisms are explained further and which are not. The author mentions his consternation with his first name being used as a euphemism for what is called "a reversal...more
Egad this was a hard one! It's not that it wasn't interesting, because it was...it's more that this is one of those books that is much better when taken in small draughts then read straight through. Euphemisms are the the bread to our butter, the sugar to our tea, the easy way of putting things that are less than easy (or sometimes polite) to speak of...and with that being said, this book covers in a glancing fashion a range of topics that at best can be somewhat touchy to the truly controversia...more
1 like · like · see review
This was a fun, light, and easy read, especially after finishing a novel that was both dense and over 700 pages long. This book was a delightfully lighthearted look at a subject that should be lighthearted: the use of euphemism and how society dictates what subjects and terminology is considered taboo.
There isn't that much more to say - there needn't be any plot to drive this book or anything like that, so it's pretty straightforward. The author clearly knows more than enough about the subject...more
There isn't that much more to say - there needn't be any plot to drive this book or anything like that, so it's pretty straightforward. The author clearly knows more than enough about the subject...more
I heard the author on NPR read a few excerpts and the book sounded like a fun read. As expected, the chapters on sex, anatomy and bodily functions were all entertaining. But I was struck by the chapters on death, economics and war. I was very aware of how society talks around sex, but I had not thought much about how we talk around death and war and finances.
The book is worth the read. It is pretty quick and will make you smile with its anecdotes. I think it will challenge you to think too.
The book is worth the read. It is pretty quick and will make you smile with its anecdotes. I think it will challenge you to think too.
This was an entertaining enough read, but honestly for the lack of analysis and depth involved, I would rather this have been in an encyclopedia format. There is really only a very cursory examination of each euphemism mentioned and rarely more than a few pages devoted to each topic. An encyclopedia format (even one organized by topical chapter) would have been more interesting to me because it would be able to include more history. I also felt that Keyes stretched what constitutes a euphemism,...more
Mar 25, 2012
Christi
added it
Euphemania was amusing, and it's interesting to think about the euphemisms I use and what they say about my values and insecurities. For instance, I like to say that I "had an important meeting...with my pillow" when I take a nap during the day; while I don't attach much significance to that statement, I think Keyes would argue that it reflects the guilt I feel over not having a "real job."
While amusing, Euphemania gets rather repetitive, and I found myself skimming heavily through the last few...more
While amusing, Euphemania gets rather repetitive, and I found myself skimming heavily through the last few...more
I had so much fun reading this book! EUPHEMANIA is unbelievably witty and entertaining. I never really gave much thought about where euphemisms came from and why they started. Ever since I finished reading this book, I've noticed how much I use them and it's astounding! When you're in the mood to learn something interesting, I recommend this book. It would make a great gift!
This book was riveting. It's not usually my type of thing to read, but it came recommended from The Writer magazine. I do not regret purchasing this book. It was a great read when taking break from my usual Young Adult fiction books. I love euphemisms! They're so ridiculously wonderful.
Dec 02, 2010
Mary (BookHounds)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
2010-book-challenge,
from-publisher-author
If you are a word freak like me, you are going to love this book. Euphemania explains where we get common turns of phrase like "pushing up daisies" and other obscure references. The book is very entertaining and gives insight to historical references. I really enjoyed reading this one and it would make the perfect gift for that closet wordy in your life.
Keyes has given us a highly readable account of the historical development of euphemisms as a reflection of the cultural norms of the day. Although the book is not intended to be a dictionary, it serves as a wonderful reference to anyone needing a bit of a map to navigate the way Americans - though sometimes also the English and the French - replace "provocative" words with more acceptable terms. For the armchair linguist, it is a titillating and humorous etymology of euphemisms. A euphemology,...more
I was excited about this book, to learn the history of some euphemisms. Mostly, this book was a giant example of euphemisms. I know what they are, author, I just want to know why we say them.
just won on first reads!
I seriously cannot finish reading this book. We've been super-busy this month coming home from vacation, and I've made it about 100 pages into it, and so far all I get is that people use Euphemisms for a variety of reasons - or all reasons at once - and if you don't have a lot of activities in your life then you can sit down and read about them all. If you are a student of the English language - or just like all linguistics I believe this may interest you. If not . . . eh...more
I seriously cannot finish reading this book. We've been super-busy this month coming home from vacation, and I've made it about 100 pages into it, and so far all I get is that people use Euphemisms for a variety of reasons - or all reasons at once - and if you don't have a lot of activities in your life then you can sit down and read about them all. If you are a student of the English language - or just like all linguistics I believe this may interest you. If not . . . eh...more
Feb 07, 2011
Colleen
marked it as to-read
As mentioned on NPR All Things Considered Feb 7 2011. http://www.npr.org/2011/02/07/1335716...
This is a book that any word lover would enjoy. Keyes's book not only explains different euphamisms but the history and the area where it is from. He also talks about the reasons that we create euphamisms and the number one reason is to avoid saying something that makes us uncomfortable. This leads to all sorts of goofy words and subjects! A fun read!
Fun read, espEcially enjoyed the section on medical euphemisms.
Dec 14, 2010
Rebecca Einstein Schorr
marked it as to-read
Heard the author interviewed on NPR's Talk of the Nation this evening.
Always fascinating, frequently amusing, occasionally hilarious.
Source: Marginal Revolution
Library: 423.1 Keyes, MRSPL
Library: 423.1 Keyes, MRSPL
“You son-of-a-bitch!” like many exclamations takes on a different meaning with different voice inflections and in different contexts. Remember the old story of the preacher who was mad but wouldn’t curse, so he told his adversary, “When you get home, I hope your mother runs out from under the porch and bites you on the leg!”
Read my complete review here:
http://technorati.com/entertainment/a...
Read my complete review here:
http://technorati.com/entertainment/a...
Dec 13, 2010
Lissa
marked it as to-read
Sounds like a fun read, + very educational.
This book not only explains the origins of many past and present euphemisms, it also examines their root causes and effects on society. He explores their use for politeness and tact, fun and entertainment, but also for deception and backpedaling. Sometimes a little repetitive on his main theory, but you should read the sections about war, politics, and business practices - it will surely remind you to read between the lines at all times!
You will laugh at the verbal hoops humans will jump through throughout history to avoid talking about "sex", "sweat" and "excrement", and then cry about the even more verbal acrobatic leaps we go through to avoid saying words like "kill," "hurt," and "death" - especailly during 20th and 21st century wars.
So readable! Very enlightening.
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Ralph Keyes is an author, speaker and teacher. His 15 books deal with topics ranging from time pressure to human height. Keyes’s bestseller Is There Life After High School? was made into a Broadway musical that is still produced in this country and abroad. Since being published in 1995 his book The Courage to Write has become a standard work among aspiring writers in particular.
Keyes’s recent boo...more
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Mar 05, 2012 04:28pm