press-euphemania

THE READING LIFE Hiking the Appalachian Trail, and other euphemisms Ever ponder how much we rely on euphemisms? I didn’t, until I dipped into “Euphemania,” a new book sure to delight language lovers. The book, by Ralph Keyes, explores how we use euphemisms as stand-ins for words that evoke fear, unease or embarrassment. And, best …

FIRST READ Once upon a time, there was a body part we couldn’t mention. Instead, we used words such as dagger, lance, stake and sword. There were other make-nice substitutes (which we also can’t print here), but it all comes down to our trying to make the unmentionable mentionable. Even when it’s done with a …

Author Q & A: Ralph Keyes In his time prolific American writer Ralph Keyes has tackled a whole range of non-fiction topics, from the lingering effects of life at high school to the importance of one’s height (or lack thereof). Keyes has a particular fascination with the vagaries of language, and his latest book dissects …

Euphemania: Show Me the Liquidity an excerpt by Ralph Keyes Euphemisms are an accurate barometer of changing attitudes.  Verbal evasions put a spotlight on what most concerns human beings at any given time.  This is as true today as it was when the Victorians considered legs too titillating to be mentioned by name.  (Limbs was …