***** 5 stars Ralph Keyes has done it again. in EUPHEMANIA he has written another “read it in one sitting.” book. I had other things to do — it’s a week before Christmas — but I couldn’t stop reading it. The naughty bits — euphemisms for #1 and #2 — see what I mean — …
reviews-euphemania
Amazon Review: A "page turner"
***** 5 stars It’s unusual to call a non-fiction book a “page turner.” Yet Ralph Keyes’ EUPHEMANIA fits the bill. Once I started reading his exploration into the many facets of euphemisms, I was enthralled. Keyes has struck a rich vein with the subject of his latest book. Euphemisms reveal a great deal about a …
The Telegraph (Calcutta, India)
A hilarious study of the “birth,” “death” and functions of euphemisms. Euphemisms, or “comfort words” as Keyes calls them, serve the purpose of camouflaging what is considered to be socially unpalatable. More often than not, they are used in the context of taboo topics such as bodily waste, the human anatomy and sex. The anecdotes …
Amazon Review: Gadzooks, zounds, sugar and fudge!
***** 5 stars While not providing the definitive list of euphemisms in the English language, Ralph Keyes’ “Euphemania” provides just enough word history and naughtiness to make it entertaining throughout. I had no idea, for instance, that “white meat”, “dark meat” and “drumstick” were food euphemisms to prevent our Victorian ancestors from saying the words …
Amazon Review: Choosing words with care
***** 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 …