Greetings, workers of the world! This is another newsletter from A Way with Words. This past weekend's show was re-run about the secret words of families. Give it a spin: We also talked about "knocked up," "the real...
shadow toll n.— «When the toll roads were built, the TCA said no taxpayer money would be used to operate roads, Fitts said. But the term “shadow tolls” seems to be a euphemism for “taxpayer-supported toll road,” he...
Also speaking of animals, an immigrant from India recounts his confusion the first time he heard the expression “I’m going to go see a man about a horse.” How in did that become a euphemism for “I’m going to go to the...
optics n.— «Optics. This euphemism for “spin”—as in “getting the optics right”—is big in Washington. We hope it doesn’t make it to Los Angeles.» —“How cliche” Los Angeles Times Jan. 1, 2008...
dry meat n.—Gloss: a euphemism for bushmeat. «It takes strategic thinking to find monkey meat in New York. Best to avoid the word “monkey,” for one thing — start with something innocuous-sounding, like “dry meat...
cooking accident
n.— «“Cooking accident” has long been a euphemism for dowry killing in India.» —“Kurdistan’s Fatal Flames” by Kevin Peraino Newsweek Sept. 18, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)