Euphemisms: Can You Recognize Them? Quiz

Answer: He is dead

There are many euphemisms for the word "death". Sometimes it is deemed polite to use expressions such as "passed away", and most of us use our judgement on that for certain occasions. However, some expressions, such as "he is departed", or "I lost my grandmother", or "gone to meet his maker", can sometimes finish up sounding like that famous Monty Python skit wherein John Cleese comes up with dozens of euphemisms for his dead parrot - "he has gone to join the choir invisible"!

Answer: Janitor

There are plenty of these euphemisms to go around these days. For example, a person is no longer a sales assistant or a sales clerk, but is a "sales associate". That sounds much more elevated even though they might only be paid minimum wage and have absolutely no input into their employment conditions or any share in the profits of the company.

And what about "disadvantaged" rather than poor? I was poor growing up. Our family in no way felt "disadvantaged". We had work; we were happy; we had fun! We just didn't have a lot of money.

Answer: She is pregnant

There are lots of euphemisms for "pregnant". Some are "expecting", "a bun in the oven", "knocked up", and so on. Interesting how these last two in this list are unpleasant and derogatory, but some people prefer to use them instead of the correct clinical term, "pregnant". Sometimes the French word "enceinte" is used, rather than plain English. Surely this unwarranted delicacy is leftover from puritanical/Victorian times?

Answer: Lied by saying the dog ate his homework

At the risk of sounding disrespectful, euphemisms for the word "lying" probably originated with politicians! So many of them seem to "mis-remember", "mis-speak" themselves, or are "economical with the truth". Even the word "fib" is made to give lies a lesser moral weight. And what about "white lies"? Think about it.

Answer: False

"Collateral damage" is a term, the invention of which has been attributed to the American CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), which actually means the death of innocent civilians, including women and children, during acts of war. "Collateral damage" is also seen as the unavoidable impact of trying to bomb military targets that are close to civilian populations.

Answer: She is broke.

This type of euphemism for being broke is understandable. Sometimes we are broke because we cannot manage our money very well. It is easier to sound like a passive victim, isn't it?

However, when financial/political/educational institutions start to use euphemisms for lack of cash, better watch out! There will be "down-sizing", "right-sizing", or "retrenchments" on the way.

A temporary negative cash flow, when used as a statement of fact rather than euphemistically, does not, of course, imply destitution. One could have a healthy balance which provides a cushion for the temporary losses.

Answer: A second-hand or used dress

This idea of second-hand or used items being "previously owned" or "previously loved", or "new to you", is a recent innovation. We are all pretty delicate in our sensibilities it would appear. Could the folks who sell "used" cars have started this trend?

I think used wedding dresses are a good idea - good for the environment and good for the budget. Such an expensive item for one day.

Answer: Watching pornography on the office computer

This is a firing offense in any company with any moral and/or human rights standards. Many companies terminate immediately for this. However, there is a mis-conception out there about employee privacy at the office. Some think that their work computers and offices are private. Strictly speaking, activities unrelated to work, such as watching "Breaking Bad" and sending any magazine articles to your spouse, are issues which could "affect your employment relationship" with your employer.

As for watching a rehearsal for the office concert, who would want to do that?

Answer: Think about old stuff in new ways

"Paradigm shift" is more a buzz-word than a euphemism. However, it can qualify for the latter, since people are starting to use it conversationally outside of professional situations. When your grand-mother starts chastising you about your needing a paradigm shift, you know something is wrong with the language.

Part of the change we see taking place with euphemisms is that, in the creation of buzzwords or phrases such as these, the speaker is made to sound more elevated and knowledgeable. So instead of the fact being made more pleasant, the simple is being made to sound more complicated.

Answer: You are incompetent

No one wants to tell an employee that they are not doing a good job. However, if you aren't doing a good job, you probably would prefer to hear it straight. In fact, if recognizing euphemism is not your strongest point, you may not even get the hint that you are about to be fired, or should I say "let go"?

On the other hand, perhaps your boss does think you are playing too many Fun Trivia games in the office. Again, wouldn't it be better to say so to avoid any possible confusion about your work performance?