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I need a better example for what you seek.For, 'The Adversary'--as a euphemism--is not the invention of 'Jim Butcher'.
'The Adversary' is a long-standing term throughout English literature which refers to Satan, aka 'The Enemy', aka many other labels.
If you clarify exactly what you need, I'm sure we can help you out.
Thank you!Here is another example:" - Any zombies out there?- Don't say that.- What?- That.- What?- That. The Z word. Don't say it". Shaun of the Dead, written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
The Z word is an author euphemism.
Feliks wrote: "I need a better example for what you seek.
For, 'The Adversary'--as a euphemism--is not the invention of 'Jim Butcher'.
'The Adversary' is a long-standing term throughout English literature whic..."
Okay, First a movie.Bill Murray in 'Caddyshack'.
Murray plays a mentally-retarded groundskeeper, annoyed by pesky gophers. He muses to himself that these 'varmints' are worse than the VietCong soldiers US forces faced in the Vietnam war. His euphemism?
'Varmint-cong'
Next: a classic rock song. Arlo Guthrie (son of Woody Guthrie, famous folk balladeer) was a big name in the folk song tradition in the 1960s. One of his most inventive songs, 'Alice's Restaurant' has numerous euphemisms; in fact the whole song (23 minutes long, including audience participation) depends on euphemisms such as 'mother killers' and 'father rapers' and the infamous "27 8x10 photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one"..repeated throughout the narrative (story song). Its indescribable, maybe it fits what you want and maybe it doesn't...
Next: some modern-classic novels
Joseph Wambagh's "The Choirboys" and "Lines and Shadows"
(probably many more of his works too)
Former cop and bestselling novelist Wambaugh was noted for his ability to convey authentic police slang and euphemisms in his writing.
'trying to eat the ham through the wrapper' --found in a party scene in the story--was a racy one, for example.
Also try Robin Cook's "The French Connection" (another great cop novel) where many euphemisms abound. Frenchmen are called 'frogs' etc
Joseph Heller's 'Catch -22' has many euphemisms. One: 'the soldier in white' (referring to a hospital patient entirely swathed in bandages).
Of course, Native American indian languages and Norse kennings rely on euphemisms..its a staple of linguistics.
From the world of computers: 'bugs' came about because an actual bug was found in a computer once.
Stand by for more...
Ach! How could I have overlooked George Orwell. The master of euphemisms. 'Newspeak'.Anthony Burgess, 'Clockwork Orange' another heavy-hitter in English literature. Nadsat language created especially for the book.
Oh! Thank you so much! That is just great!Feliks wrote: "Ach! How could I have overlooked George Orwell. The master of euphemisms. 'Newspeak'.
Anthony Burgess, 'Clockwork Orange' another heavy-hitter in English literature. Nadsat language created especi..."
You're welcome. Also, don't forget Edward Lear or Lewis Caroll; nor James Joyce. All supreme in the devising of waggle-words and substitute-words. Look up Jabberwocky', 'Through the Looking Glass'; (Joyce's character in 'Finnegan's Wake') 'Anna Livinia Plurabelle', even TS Eliot's 'Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, etcMy favorite swap-out from Lewis Carroll is 'ambition, distraction, uglification, and derision'
Gertrude Stein was another pioneer of language-play; Eugene Ionesco too. This needn't be drudge-work either: Ionesco is hilariously funny to read. 'The Bald Soprano', his best.
from Neil Simon's 'The Sunshine Boys' (stage play and movie)...talking about a tongue-depressor, one of the characters refers to it instead as an 'aah-stick'
the other characters goes, 'wait, what?'
"an aas-stick. You know, the doctor tells you to stick out your tongue and say 'aaah' and he sticks this down your throat.."
"Oh..yes. An aah-stick. Sure!"
a classic movie now:'Meet John Doe' starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck (1941)
Great character actor Walter Brennan (Oscar winner) explains his concept of the 'Heelots'. His character is a vagabond --deliberately penniless--because he doesn't want the world's heels chasing after him.
'Heelots' are literally, "a lot of heels"
Oscar Wilde, 'The Importance of Being Earnest'comes up with the word 'bunburry' as a cover-phrase for society men who lead a 'double' social life
I am currently working on my thesis which is about author euphemisms (the euphemisms that were created for a special occasion by one person). I need to get as much examples of such euphemisms as possible. Please, if you can think of any books, songs, films, poems etc. that have author euphemisms please write to me.
Example:
"...he has seen the adversary, and learned one of its names". Cold Days by Jim Butcher
The adversary here is an author euphemism