Author Topic: The Euphemism treadmill (Read 1156 times)

Matthew · « **on:** October 16, 2015, 06:47:52 PM »

This is why the Irish are sometimes tempted to just give up and spell it out in explicit, earthy terms. Better to be honest than beat around the bush like this!

A euphemism may often devolve into a taboo word itself, through the linguistic process known as pejoration or semantic change described by W.V.O. Quine,[11] and more recently dubbed the "euphemism treadmill" by Harvard professor Steven Pinker.[12] For instance, Toilet is an 18th-century euphemism, replacing the older euphemism House-of-Office, which in turn replaced the even older euphemisms privy-house or bog-house.[13] In the 20th century, where the words lavatory or toilet were deemed inappropriate (e.g. in the United States), they were sometimes replaced with bathroom or water closet, which in turn became restroom, W.C., or washroom.

clare · « **Reply #1 on:** October 17, 2015, 05:34:44 AM »

My dad told me that Americans have a thing about the word "behind", and I've sometimes seen in older American writings "back of" in its place, e.g. "The Freemasons are back of everything"*. It sounds strange. Brits don't phrase things like that. Do Americans do that still?

(* I made that up because I couldn't think of a specific example offhand.)

Marlelar · « **Reply #2 on:** October 17, 2015, 06:11:42 PM »

Quote from: clare

My dad told me that Americans have a thing about the word "behind", and I've sometimes seen in older American writings "back of" in its place, e.g. "The Freemasons are back of everything"*. It sounds strange. Brits don't phrase things like that. Do Americans do that still?

(* I made that up because I couldn't think of a specific example offhand.)

I've never heard of any Americans having a problem with the word "behind", not as a noun, adjective, or adverb.

I personally use "loo" to reference what most Americans call the bathroom.

Nadir · « **Reply #3 on:** October 17, 2015, 07:40:33 PM »

Quote from: Marlelar

Quote from: clare
My dad told me that Americans have a thing about the word "behind", and I've sometimes seen in older American writings "back of" in its place, e.g. "The Freemasons are back of everything"*. It sounds strange. Brits don't phrase things like that. Do Americans do that still?

(* I made that up because I couldn't think of a specific example offhand.)

I've never heard of any Americans having a problem with the word "behind", not as a noun, adjective, or adverb.

I personally use "loo" to reference what most Americans call the bathroom.

Clare, I too have noticed the strange usage of the expression "back of" to replace the word "behind". To me it sounds awkward and ugly , along with the grammatically incorrect American expression "off of" to replace "off', as in "he took the shoes off of the table, instead of "he took the shoes off the table".

In my country if you ask for the bathroom you could be directed to a room which has no toilet, and a rest room to me is a room with a bed in it, or at least a comfortable chair. We still call the "little room" the toilet, but the word lavatory seems to have fallen into disuse since my childhood.

clare · « **Reply #4 on:** October 18, 2015, 01:23:57 AM »

Quote from: Marlelar

I've never heard of any Americans having a problem with the word "behind", not as a noun, adjective, or adverb.

I hadn't, even at the time my dad mentioned it (25+ years ago, I reckon), but in more recent years I've noticed it in American books (Mark Twain says "back of" a few times in his Joan of Arc book) and remembered what dad said.

Quote

I personally use "loo" to reference what most Americans call the bathroom.

So do I.

Matthew · « **Reply #5 on:** October 18, 2015, 09:27:08 AM »

I haven't heard the "back of" expression you speak of, but I'll give you an equivalent --

I have heard many Americans say "back side" instead of "butt".

I grew up with "butt" being a sufficiently polite term for that part of the body.

I mean, there's the butt of a rifle, and the word is basically equivalent to "rump" is it not?

But since it still refers to the same object, that body part so close to where excretion takes place, we have to hop back on that old euphemism treadmill...

Another great example of the Euphemism Treadmill is the word to refer to people with brown skin.

In the past, they were referred to as negroes (from "negro", the Latin word for black). Even the dreaded slur "nigger" came from this -- just a verbal corruption of the word "negro". It's easy to see where that slang came from. But at some point -- again, is being black inherently an insult? -- it took on a negative connotation. It's like they were referred to as what they were with a hate-filled, snide tone, and the slur was born?

I don't know what time period exactly, but next they were called "colored".

In the 80's in America, we called them blacks. The term was descriptive, scientific; not derogatory at all. (And those who used the term, including the "Whites", were fine being called Whites even though almost none of them were albino) But apparently that wasn't good enough. Apparently it's an insult (or becomes an insult) to be of that race? Because back on the treadmill we go... afro-american, african american, etc.

I consider this the "euphemism treadmill" because all these terms were not inherently insulting. I have certainly encountered some insulting terms, which never truly applied to this or any other race. But why shy away from a useful, descriptive term which "worked"?

clare · « **Reply #6 on:** October 18, 2015, 10:13:14 AM »

There's a charity over here which used to be called The Spastics Society, but when the word spastic became a playground insult, it changed its name to Scope.

Previously acceptable words do become insults. I never say retard, or add -tard to the end of other words to make more insults. Call me PC, but if a word has become insulting, I don't use it. I think it's unnecessarily reactionary to see some duty in using them just because they didn't use to be insulting. Deliberately, needlessly, upsetting people isn't a good thing. (Emphasis on needlessly. It isn't always unnecessary, but it often is.)

Nadir · « **Reply #7 on:** October 18, 2015, 03:59:27 PM »

Matthew said,

Quote

I have heard many Americans say "backside" instead of "butt".

I thought "butt" was a euphemism. To me "butt" is colloquial and seems to be an American expression. Actually it is an abbreviation of the word "buttocks".

When I was working for the Queensland Sub-Normal Children's Association they changed to name to Endeavour Foundation.

Maria Regina · « **Reply #8 on:** October 18, 2015, 05:06:31 PM »

Yes, I have heard of the term "backside" which sounds better than rear-end, although Americans have no problem with saying, "I was rear-ended" when referring to an automobile accident.

He rear-ended me! -- could be a dirty dance or an automobile accident.