Euphemism

Examples by topics

Company

“people of Color” for people from which the skin color is different from that of the speaker (often Noir E);
“SDF” for “without fixed residence” which because of its current employment, standardizes reality and constitutes an euphemism - the SDF is often one “without very short shelter”.
“third age”, senior for old age, old
“economic handicapped person” for poor

Work world

“company founder” for head of undertaking or owner;
“technician of surface” for sweeping;
“technician of the grounds” for a cleaning lady.

Handicap

Note : “Handicap” is itself an euphemism for “infirmity” or “disability”

“blind man” to designate a blind man;
“people with reduced mobility” for motor disabilities there (although in this case one wanted to include the people of which mobility is reduced by other factors that the physical handicap: traveller charged with bags, nurse, her child and his poussette…);
“deaf” to designate a deaf person;
“to be decreased” to mean “to be handicapped”;
“wrapped” to nominate an obese person .

Died

The euphemisms are currency to indicate death, the disease and mourning, the latter being subjects highly anxiogenes and likely to run up against the sensitivity of the speakers.

the disease:

“to die of the continuations of a long illness” “to die of a Cancer”;

to mean the fact of dying:

“to disappear”;
“not to be more”;
“to die out” (it is also a Métaphore, since the life is compared with the flame of a candle which dies out);
“to leave us”;
“from to go away”;
“to leave in another world”;
“to pass on other side”;
“to be mown by the death” (formula which can also be regarded as a hyperbole according to the context).

death:

“the voyageuse one of night” (it is also a metaphor since death is compared with the darkness of the night);
“disappearance”;

“ the boulevard of the allongés ” for the cemetery;
particular Uses:

One can use the prefix or suffix " Fire, eue" name followed to nominate a person deceased.

Ex: They commemorate the birthday of the feue queen (or fire the queen)

to say of a man who he had died, the Romans said: “He lived.” Now, we say: “It left us.”

Sex

“close relations” to indicate sexual relationships;
“of the pleasure” to indicate the sexual relationships (it is also a Métonymie, since the sex is indicated by one of its effects);
“to pay in kind” to mean to have “sexual relationships in exchange of a service” (it is also a Syllepse direction);
“to be intimate” to mean “to be a sexual partner of”;
“nights shared” to mean punctuated evenings of sexual relationships.
“not to have taboos” to indicate the practice of sodomy, even sexual practices considered to be more extreme (mainly BDSM)

War

“pacification” to indicate an military operation (it is also a Métonymie, since the war is indicated by one of its supposed effects);
“cleaning” to indicate an military operation (it is also a Analogie, since the life of the adversary is regarded as dirtiness, dust);
“surgical Striking” or “strikes targeted” to indicate a Bombardement;
“collateral damage” to indicate the Dead S of a battle, in particular civilians;
“insurrection” to designate violent one engagements;
“stray bullet” to indicate an error of shooting (it is also a Synecdoque, since the shooting is indicated by the projectile);
“bends at submunition” to indicate the bombs containing to several thousands of anti-personnel mines potential.

Crime

“Final solution” for the genocide of the Jews according to the code of the Nazi S
“Contract” for active assassination

Organizes

“a phonic regulation”, for a key of throttling realized by a police officer and in particular intended to attenuate the cries from abroad during his expulsion by air and in the presence of public. (source: the Sunday newspaper, 8/19/2007, page 8)

See too

External bonds

Québécois Office of the French language

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