EUPHEMISMS

 QUOTES WITH IDIOMS

However, the thought hit me that this was a pretty pathetic way to kick the bucket - being accidentally poisoned during a photo shoot,  and I started weeping at the idiocy of it all.

When her mother passed away she was 20. * When dad told me John had passed away, I broke down and cried. (succumb to mental or emotional stress). Se'kem *

The English language is full of common euphemisms, phrases which we use every day to avoid saying something directly, often without even realizing we are using a euphemism. (politically correct)

Probably the most common is "make love" when you mean "have sex". Another common euphemish on the same subject is "I love ..." when you mean "I want / desire / need ...".

The next most common use of euphemisms is for someone's death: She passed away, she's left us, she's at rest, she's gone, gone over to the other side, gone to your reward ... When people use these euphemisms they're not trying to fool anyone. They're just trying to be more gentle emotionally.

Passed Away. Die. This one is one of the most common euphemisms, so much so that you probably didn’t even realize it was a euphemism. Also pass on, breathe one's last
Slangs: kick the bucket, meet one's maker, give up the ghost. Also: expire, depart, decease, perish,

A Few Sandwiches Short of a Picnic. This is one of the fairly amusing everyday euphemisms and is used to suggest that somebody is a little bit intellectually challenged (oh no, not another euphemism!). It may not be a nice way to describe somebody, but it’s considered nicer than saying somebody is stupid.

A pejorative phrase meaning not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. It can appear in many different forms and variations (for example: a few bricks shy of a load, a few cards shy of a full deck, etc.). He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets. I think he may be a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

Relieve oneself: to urinate or defecate, empty the bladder, go to the restroom, answer nature's call.

Intellectually challenged struggling with one's own stupidity; superficial, shallow, shallow-brained, simple, simple-minded, unthinking, thick, dumb, unwise, foolish, unintelligent: It was definitely unintelligent to go outside without a coat during a snowstorm

A correctional facility: a detention center, a big house, crossbar hotel, prison.

Collateral damage: Innocent victims, unforeseen consequences.

Up the Duff. This phrase that we use to say that somebody is pregnant is supposed to be a euphemism, when really it’s far more unpleasant than just saying that someone is pregnant.

In the family way. pregnant (old-fashioned)
slang: knocked up: I think she's knocked up - that's why they're getting married so suddenly

Lady of the Night. The only euphemism making the list that describes a prostitute

Couch Potato. This is one of many common euphemisms that can mean slightly different things depending on where you’re from. A lot of people use it to describe somebody who is overweight, while others understand it to really describe somebody who is just lazy, whatever size they are.

Kick the Bucket. This is another of the euphemisms in common use about death, but it’s an odd phrase and there is debate about where it comes from. One theory is that it comes from the use of hanging as a method of execution, where the victim was stood on an upturned bucket until it was kicked out from under them, and they died.

Offed Himself. This is another one about death, although it’s the only one on the list that relates directly to suicide. Suicide is still quite a taboo subject, so it’s unsurprising that people don’t want to say it directly, although it is a somewhat derogatory, and certainly insensitive, phrase.

Differently Abled. One of the nicest common euphemisms we have, we can describe someone as differently abled to avoid saying they are disabled. It’s nice because it suggests that they are not less able than us, but that they are in fact just able in a different way.

Visually Challenged. This is another euphemism about people having disabilities, although this one is specifically about being blind or partially sighted. It has become the basis of other euphemisms, with some short people referring to themselves as ‘vertically challenged,’ (short in stature) and many other similar phrases: Intellectually challenged

Didn’t Make It. This is yet another one meaning that someone has died, although we tend to say that someone didn’t make it if they were in an accident or fighting an illness, as it suggests that somebody didn’t make it through something.

Frumpy. Overweight. We certainly don’t like to call people fat, which is why we have everyday euphemisms like ‘frumpy,’ although when the meaning is so well known, it can be just as offensive.
It’s more that people don’t feel as bad about insulting another person if they are less direct about it, even if what they say means the same thing.

Full Figured.  This is the final ‘fat’ euphemism to make the list, and is probably the kindest of all of them. Perhaps that’s because we often don’t actually want to be offensive or negative about somebody when we call them full figured. The same cannot be said of the other fat euphemisms, which, let’s face it, are hardly real euphemisms at all.

Letting Someone Go. When it comes to firing someone, you rarely hear the exact words of 'You are fired' unless of course your boss doesn't care about your feelings. However instead most people word it differently in order to appear polite and less harsh. What they usually say is 'I am sorry but we have to let you go.' Sounds a lot nicer, but the meaning is unfortunately the same.

Downsize. (company staff: make redundancies/redundant). Dismiss, lay (so) off. The company has been forced to downsize a lot of positions that were once considered vital

On the Streets. When you are describing someone with an unfortunate lifestyle or history, you try to refrain from describing them as homeless or as a bum. One of the common ways to express the same idea is to say that the person spend a big chunk of his or her life on the streets.

Categorical Inaccuracy. When ordinary people conceal the truth and say something that is not consistent with the facts, that is considered lying. However when it comes to politics it is all different. If somebody in power is not saying the truth, it is incompetent to call them liars instead we say that there were categorical inaccuracies in what they said.

Lost His/her Marbles. Mental health professionals usually don't call people with mental problems crazy because that word has negative connotations and instead they often refer to those mental issues as a disease. However ordinary people like us, usually say that the person lost his or her marbles instead of stating that they are nuts, mad, or kooky. Although these euphemisms are vague, sometimes they can still sound hurtful to the people with the mental problems.

Over the Hill. We all know that age is a sensitive subject to all women, after all who is looking forward to getting grey hair, wrinkles and sagging skin. However sooner or later, we will all have to face this problem but that doesn't mean that we have to say that we are old or ancient. There are better words to refer to people who have reached the climax of their life time by saying that they are over the hill.

Between Jobs. Unemployment rates are high, especially in the current state of the economy and some people are suffering financially. Many have been cut and now are having a hard time finding a permanent job but instead of referring to themselves as unemployed these people say that they are between jobs. Although it sounds a lot better, it doesn't change their situation. When you sit down and think about it, common euphemisms are often very interesting, but given that they are supposed to help us avoid saying something unpleasant, they often aren’t very nice at all. It’s no wonder that English can be so perplexing for people learning it as a second language.

What's the strangest euphemism you've ever Heard?