***** 5 stars Ralph Keyes has delved into our human nature here. We use euphemisms to soften our words. To disguise them. To wrap them in pretty distracting language. We say what we mean on occasion but mostly we dissemble. We euphemize. We hide behind words that are seemingly less offensive than what we could …
Amazon Review: Bridget Hopper
**** 4 stars I had so much fun reading this book! EUPHEMANIA is unbelievably witty and entertaining. I never really gave much thought about where euphemisms came from and why they started. Ever since I finished reading this book, I’ve noticed how much I use them and it’s astounding! When you’re in the mood to …
GenTrends
May 2009 To Ponder. . . Back in woodshed times, American boys itching for a fight sometimes announced this fact by placing a chip on their shoulder,then daring someone to knock it off. Although fastidious contemporary ears like to think this was a sliver of wood, the chip in question was more likely to be …
Librarians Do It Between the Covers
I’ll have the toothfish and the thymus glands, please. From NPR’s Talk of the Nation last week, a great bit on euphemisms — where they come from and why we use them — and the new release by Ralph Keyes, Euphemania: Our Love Affair With Euphemisms. A euphemism can be more than just a clever …
Amazon Review: Euphemisms from One Culture to Another
***** 5 stars A great title for a well researched (check the complete bibliography) and enjoyable book that, anyone who likes language, and the way it evolves will read in a day. Keyes draws almost all of his examples from the anglo-saxon culture, switching from England to the USA. He mentions a few Spanish words …
Mouse Potato
Book Review – “I Love It When You Talk Retro,” June 1, 2009 By J.A. O’Sullivan The cover says it all: hoochie coochie, double whammy, drop a dime. “I Love It When You Talk Retro,” a new book by Ralph Keyes, explores the history of America’s slang, sayings and street talk. Written crisply and divided …