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“What about going to the West Lake?”
All the ten methods above can help make your speech courteous and elegant.
4.classification of euphemisms.
Euphemisms can be classified into different types from different angles. This section chiefly touches upon three kinds of division.
4.1 From the perspective of semantics, euphemisms can be divided into three groups, ie, positive euphemisms, negative euphemisms and neutral euphemisms.
1) Positive euphemisms refer to the supplantation of humble words for agreeable or pleasant words. For example, when people talk about the cobbler we may most likely use the“shoe rebuilder” instead.
2) Negative euphemisms refer to the replacement of pejorative words for less offensive words. For example, people often do not say “a madhouse”, instead we tend to use “insane asylum” more frequently.
3) Neutral euphemisms refer to the substitution for a foreign word. 4.2 From the perspective of appearance frequency, euphemisms can be grouped as temporary euphemisms and general euphemisms.
1) Temporary euphemisms have a very limited circulation and time span , maybe just in a family or among a group of friends. For example one family happen to refer “euphemism” as the toilet, but the outsiders may totally feel at a loss about what they are talking about.
2) General euphemism refers to the fixed linguistic units during a certain period of time in a language community. As a rule, most of them can be traced in various dictionaries, such as \so on.
4.3 From the perspective of the scopes of practical use, euphemisms fall into ten groups.
4.3.1 Euphemisms on health
This kind o f Euphemisms originated from the early human civilization. To avoid the association of fear, helplessness and sorrow bounded with “death”, we often use euphemisms. as below:
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Direct expressions die Euphemisms pass away go to heaven pass away depart leave us go to sleep final sleep ceased to think gone to sleep - but for ever ill old under the weather advanced in age senior citizen golden age venerable people get on years pass one’s prime graveyard death penalty cancer memory garden final resting place capital punishment terminally ill 4.3.2.Euphemisms on sex and pregnancy
Direct expressions venereal disease illegitimate child free love menstruation homosexual pregnant Euphemisms social disease love child trial marriage have one’s periods gay, queer to be in a delicate condition, to spoil a woman’s shape, a lady – in waiting
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to have sex with to be in a family way go to bed with have physical contact with 4.3.3.Euphemisms on going to the toilet
acne deaf breast leg Direct expressions ugly skinny fat Euphemisms plain , homely Slender, slim weight-watcher plump ,stout out-size over-weight problem skin hard of listening bosom limb women’s lavatory men’s lavatory Direct expressions to urinate or defecate Euphemisms answer nature’s call wash one’s hands go to the bathroom do one’s business powder room gent’s 4.3.4.Euphemisms on physical appearance.
4.3.5.Euphemisms on professions
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Direct expressions undertaker cobbler gardener secretary plumber garbage collectors packing engineer Euphemisms mortician shoe rebuilder landscape architect administrative assistant heating engineer waste managers sanitation engineers porter 4.3.6.Euphemisms on poverty and joblessness.
Direct expressions in debt penniless slum living on dole poor unemployed Euphemisms in embarrassing obligation out of pocket sub-standard housing inner city on welfare benefits needy，deprived, disadvantaged unprivileged unwaged, between jobs laid off 4.3.7. Euphemisms on crimes
Direct expressions prison murder prostitution young criminal rape to be sent into
Euphemisms correctional centre executive action the oldest profession in the world juvenile delinquents criminal assault live at government 7
prison opium 4.3.8.Euphemisms on politics
Direct expressions strike wiretap invasion genocide embezzle riot industrial action intelligence gathering involvement final solution misuse public funds disturbance , civil disorder Euphemisms black stuff
4.3.9. Euphemisms on war
Direct expression old car a shortage of goods lower price
Direct expressions invision surprise strike retreat concentration camps Ministry of War Euphemisms preemptive action pre-emptive strikes strategic withdrawal phased withdrawal strategic villages Ministry of Defense 4.3.10.Euphemisms on commerce .
Euphemisms pre-owned car a low availability factor downgrade 8
economic