**** 4 stars Ralph Keyes is well known in the US for producing books featuring both analyses of social trends, and a knack for writing well and entertainingly about them. This book focuses on euphemisms and how they are used, tracing their development in Europe and North America as a response to changing social pressures …
Arch Thinking
A repository of my thoughts about books, art, and architecture Review: I Love It When You Talk Retro July 2, 2009 Do you know what a Venn diagram is? It’s the kind of diagram with two or more circles, showing overlap between different groups. If you were to draw one with pop culture history books …
Readaholic
Readaholic 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 learn something …
Lee Aulson's Blog
Nerd Chic: July 3, 2009 I came for a certain book and left with this one. The cover was unattractively Lichensteinian but I didn’t judge. It’s basically a collection of western idiomatic language that dates back to ancient times to the present. Written by Ralph Keyes, who has written 15 books before, “I LOVE IT …
The First Gates
The First Gates Show of hands: how many know why the British used to refer to bedbugs as Norfolk-Howards? Just as I thought. Or why a one-o’clock meant a fart in Australia? You can find out in: Euphemania: Our Love Affair With Euphemisms, by Ralph Keyes. Answers: * In Victorian England, “bug” was a vulgar …
Ralph interviewed on AirTalk (KPCC)
Ralph was interviewed on AirTalk, a program on KPCC in Los Angeles on December 29, 2010 about his book Euphemania. [audio:https://ralphkeyes.on-forge.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/20101229_airtalk_euphemisms.mp3|titles=20101229_airtalk_euphemisms] More information is available on the KPCC website.