Euphemisms of the powerful

[Tubby Isaacs]

This should be right up the street of a few of you. You know the way they say airstrikes instead of bombings? What other examples come to mind?

[Gangster Octopus]

Euphemisms of the powerful

I think you mean "tactical airstrike" as opposed to "carpet bombing" which is what actually happens...

[Tubby Isaacs]

Euphemisms of the powerful

That's a lie though, isn't it? It's saying something is discriminating when it isn't. That's in a different category to what I'm trying to talk about here.

I'm also quite interested in examples where the powerful have lost the battle of words- eg community charge/ poll tax. Are there many examples of that?

[mafu]

Euphemisms of the powerful

collateral damage?

[wingco]

Euphemisms of the powerful

"Engage". Like they go down on one knee and fish a ring out of their pocket, or something.

[WOM]

Euphemisms of the powerful

Well, 'insurgents' comes to mind instead of ...I dunno...'citizens trying to defend their country against foreign invaders'.

'Correction' for 'stock market dive'.

'Defense' spending, in countries that never actually get attacked.

[Guest]

Euphemisms of the powerful

"Inappropriate" is one of the great weasel words of our time, and is used as a catch-all blocking device against all manner of things.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Euphemisms of the powerful

All good stuff, keep em coming.

edit- I hope no-one noticed I wrote "keep me coming" originally.

[diggedy derek]

Euphemisms of the powerful

I'm sure there are a million really good ones, but 'patrol' can be quite a weaselly one. As in, "our patrol engaged insurgents and returned fire". As if a patrol is just the equivalent of circling your wagons and having a quick scout around to check everything's OK before sundown, rather than driving a large convoy of military vehicles around to keep the natives in terror.

[Ray de Galles]

Euphemisms of the powerful

Are we counting "asylum seekers" instead of "refugees"?

There is a whole book on this and similar subjects.

[Guest]

Euphemisms of the powerful

'Airstrike' isn't a euphemism for 'bombing'; an airstrike can make use of missiles, bombs, and even rockets and therefore it would be inaccurate to term it 'bombing'.

'Tactical airstrike' isn't a euphemisn for 'carpet bombing'; they are totally different terms. A tactical airstrike is an air operation carried out in support of ground (or naval) forces for immediate battlefield gain. Carpet bombing is extensive and systematic bombing within a defined area to cause uniform devastation.

'Insurgent' isn't a euphemism; is it consciously designed as a value-neutral term that is neither 'freedom fighter' nor 'terrorist'.

'Patrol' just isn't a euphemism, at all.

'Do better' might be, though.

[Incandenza]

Euphemisms of the powerful

I don't see anything wrong with "insurgent" at all. Unfortunately the people using "insurgent" most often use it in a negative sense, but on its own I think its fine.

[E10 Rifle]

Euphemisms of the powerful

"Protect the bottom line" = sacking people to remain highly profitable

[Crusoe]

Euphemisms of the powerful

At my employer, you don't get made redundant, you get RIFed ("reduction in force").

[The Purple Cow]

Euphemisms of the powerful

Indeed. Though interestingly I read that only 40% of companies who 'downsize' or 'de-man' experience any improvement in their financial position at all.

When my (three months pregnant) wife was 'let go' a few years ago she was informed that the company had decided to 'variabalize' her.

Which was nice.

[Incandenza]

Euphemisms of the powerful

Crusoe wrote:

At my employer, you don't get made redundant, you get RIFed ("reduction in force").

Isn't "made redundant" also a euphemism? At least it seems that way to me, since we don't use that phrase here.

[Crusoe]

Euphemisms of the powerful

Good point, could be.

[Duncan Gardner]

Euphemisms of the powerful

Strictly speaking the job is redundant, not the employee. It's a small protection against unfair dismissal and other intimidation.

Surprised no-one's mentioned 'peace process' yet. Tsk, I must be slipping.

In The God Delusion, Dawkins criticises the opposing factions for euphemising. But- given that the conflict is now mainly about nationality, not religion or doctrine, he gets it the wrong way about. 'Protestants and Catholics' are the euphemism, not 'Unionists and Nationalists'.

[Taylor]

Euphemisms of the powerful

"Lacking nuance"; "unrealistic"; "trendy right-on Sixth Form attitude", etc.

Often, these terms are used to refer to people whose arguments lack nuance, or are unrealistic, or are rooted in (no longer so trendy) right-on Sixth Form attitudes, and God knows those people exist. But - confusingly - they're also used in place of "right".

[Etienne]

Euphemisms of the powerful

"Asylum seeker" isn't really a euphemism at all. It explicitly says someone is looking for a place of safety which is exactly what asylum seekers/refugees are doing. Perhaps it has been (ab)used so often - and practically joined at the hip with "bogus" by the powerful - so as to no longer retain the same sense, but that's not historically been the case.
(I think I remember arguing this on here before!)

Rasko, I think you're right that all those terms do have distinct and clear meanings, but surely you can't deny that "tactical airstrike" has been used euphemistically for "barely discriminate bombing".

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Euphemisms of the powerful

I like "independent enquiry", which surely is the new euphemism for "distraction tactic dealying any further question of my immediate resignation/arrest/criminal conviction". Often seen in the UK when a senior official announces, after some almighty cock-up, that they are supporting the establishment of an official enquiry and look forward to its findings, safe in the knowledge that whoever is appointed to chair said "independent enquiry" will be someone (very often an ex-senior official from the same area who knows what side the bread's buttered on) who will never come out and frankly say so-and-so was utterly incompetent and should have offered their immediate resignation in the first place, but rather will take 6 months to highlight several significant systemic flaws in procedures or "the system" and then be able to heap praise upon said original incompetent official for working hard to put things right in the meantime.

[Guest]

Euphemisms of the powerful

"Lodz, can we have a little chat?"
"Lodz, I really like you as a friend"
"Lodz, could we run through one or two things?"
"Lodz, I think you're great, but..."
"Lodz, let's talk things over"
etc...

[Tubby Isaacs]

Euphemisms of the powerful

Were there airstrikes in WW2? It was bombing, wasn't it?

[Etienne]

Euphemisms of the powerful


They certainly knew where they stood towards them in WW1

[Ginger Yellow]

Euphemisms of the powerful

Isn't "made redundant" also a euphemism? At least it seems that way to me, since we don't use that phrase here.

That's because it has a specific meaning on this side of the pond. Usually it doesn't make much difference as far as the person "made redundant" is concerned, but I've got in trouble for saying someone was sacked when they were made redundant, because the former implies misconduct. Technically, people in the UK who are made redundant are "put at risk", and the employer is supposed to try to find somewhere else in the company for them to work.