NationStates Jolt Archive

What's your favourite euphemism, doublespeak or minced oath? If you know what I mean. :wink:

Mine is "gentlemen's club". We have one near where I live, and I don't know of any gentlemen who go there. :D

I have a new favorite-of-the-moment. "Cavalier activity." Obama used that to describe wanton fucking around during a mention of sex education during yesterday's debate.

My family tends to enjoy our "Blonde moments." Being blonde myself, that is rather amusing to me. :D

My navy friend gave me my favorite Euphemism.
"Pre-dawn, horizontal, Allied, insertion."

My navy friend gave me my favorite Euphemism.
"Pre-dawn, horizontal, Allied, insertion."

If I had enough room, TOTALLY sigged.:D

I like my friends way of refering to my sister when she's bitchy. "Can't understand normal thinking"

I have a new favorite-of-the-moment. "Cavalier activity." Obama used that to describe wanton fucking around during a mention of sex education during yesterday's debate.

That is a good one. If only I could get more cavalier activity in my life. :(

"knockers"

I like this: "same difference."

Only used when I'm wrong on something, but not.

"That's like Jesus on a pogo stick."

It's a reference to a number of foul family oaths related to Jesus on a pogostick. I can't post any of them without getting modded, though.

"Democratic Republic"

They're usually neither democratic, nor a republic.

"Democratic Republic"

They're usually neither democratic, nor a republic.

It's also a technical impossibility to be a democratic republic. The difference between the two is that one has representatives for the public and the other has the public voting directly.

It's also a technical impossibility to be a democratic republic. The difference between the two is that one has representatives for the public and the other has the public voting directly.

Fair enough.

"Democratic Republic"

They're usually neither democratic, nor a republic.

"People's Republic" is fun too. Or who can forget the Union of Soviet [Council] Socialist Republics?

These are a few Spanish euphemisms I love to use!

Colgar los tennis= to die

Echar buitre (vomitar)= Quite vulgar expression though, not offensive, only vulgar

Remar = comer

Mentar la madre = insultar

Ojo = pay attention

Avisparse = be alert

Pelar el ojo = mirar con atención

Tragar la gota amarga = sufrir

pasar un mal rato = sufrir/pasar una verguenza

Hacerse de la vista gorda = ignorar

Más amishado que un perro en misa = to be very, extremely shy

Nanatsu, could you explain what the literal meanings of those are?

Salad Dodger
A more polite term than "fatty".

Nanatsu, could you explain what the literal meanings of those are?

Each phrase has it´s explanation, darling.

Hard Gas
soiling oneself.

Assumed Room Temperature
somebody died

Richard Cranium
dickhead

Smuggling Grapes
What a man wearing a speedo is doing.

Badonkadonk
Straight from Wikipedia, "Badonkadonk is a slang term for a woman's buttocks that are voluptuously large yet firm..." Per Tracy Morgan, "One cheek goes up, badonkadonk; the other goes down, badonkadonk."

The Slap and Tickle

Devolver atenciones = vomitar (To puke)

Mujer de vida alegre / de la vida = prostituta (A ho/a prostitute)

Caballero de industria = vividor (a scrounger)

Each phrase has it´s explanation, darling.No. It is not helpful to know that [Spanish words I have no clue about] is a euphemism for "to be embarrassed" unless you explain that the Spanish words literally mean "choking on a rutabaga" or whatever it is.

No. It is not helpful to know that [Spanish words I have no clue about] is a euphemism for "to be embarrassed" unless you explain that the Spanish words literally mean "choking on a rutabaga" or whatever it is.

Colgar los tennis= to hang your running shoes: to die

Echar buitre (vomitar)= cough up the vulture, Quite vulgar expression though, not offensive, only vulgar: to puke

Remar = comer, to row: expression used to mean one is eating.

Mentar la madre = insultar, invsulting someone by referring to his/her mother

Ojo = eye that, to pay attention

Avisparse = be alert

Pelar el ojo = mirar con atención, attention

Tragar la gota amarga = sufrir, to suffer

pasar un mal rato = sufrir/pasar una verguenza, have a bad experience

Hacerse de la vista gorda = ignorar, to ignore

Más amishado que un perro en misa = to be very, extremely shy

Tragar la gota amarga = sufrir, to suffer; literally, to carry the married goat

pasar un mal rato = sufrir/pasar una verguenza, have a bad experience; literally, to pass a bad rat

Hacerse de la vista gorda = ignorar, to ignore; literally, to haze the fat sight

Más amishado que un perro en misa = to be very, extremely shy; literally, to be more smashed than a rock in miso soupLike this?

Like this?

My apologies. I didn´t know how to translate those into English euphemisms. :p

My apologies. I didn´t know how to translate those into English euphemisms. :p

I think I might be able to help there. Which ones do you need help to understand? :p

I hate euphemisms, and generally avoid them.

I think I might be able to help there. Which ones do you need help to understand? :p

Oh, I understood all of them. What I wasn´t sure how to do was translate them into their English euphemism counterparts.:)

My apologies. I didn´t know how to translate those into English euphemisms. :p
I'm sorry, I guess I'm not being clear. I don't WANT you to find an equivalent English euphemism, I'm asking what the literal meaning is: in "tragar la gota marga", what is the word "tragar" (just, when "tragar" is used in any other context, what does it mean), what is "la" ("the", I assume?), what is "gota", what is "marga"?

I hate euphemisms, and generally avoid them.

How come?

I'm sorry, I guess I'm not being clear. I don't WANT you to find an equivalent English euphemism, I'm asking what the literal meaning is: in "tragar la gota marga", what is the word "tragar" (just, when "tragar" is used in any other context, what does it mean), what is "la" ("the", I assume?), what is "gota", what is "marga"?

Tragar= to swallow
La= the
Gota= drop
Amarga= bitter

¨Tragar¨ is used in many ways, all related to swallowing or to putting up with something or someone wether one likes it or not.

because he's up shit creek without a paddle

I love it when they tragar

Tragar= to swallow
La= the
Gota= drop
Amarga= bitter

Thanks, although I sort-of liked "to carry the married goat" better.

i love it when they tragar

lmao!:d
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Colgar (hang) los tennis (the tennis shoes)= to hang your running shoes: to die

Echar (spew) buitre (vulture) (vomitar)= cough up the vulture; Quite vulgar expression though, not offensive, only vulgar: to puke

Remar (row) = comer, to row: expression used to mean one is eating.

Mentar (call/insult) la madre (mother) = insultar, insulting someone by referring to his/her mother

Ojo = eye that, to pay attention

Avisparse (this one, literally, makes reference to disturbing a wasp´s nest) = be alert

Pelar (to peel) el ojo (eye) = mirar con atención, attention

Tragar la gota amarga = sufrir, to suffer [[You all know this one already]]

Pasar (go through) un (a) mal (bad) rato (moment) = sufrir/pasar una verguenza, have a bad experience

Hacerse (to make) de la (of the) vista (eyesight) gorda (fat) = ignorar, to ignore

Más amishado que un perro en misa = More stupified than a dog at mass; to be very, extremely shy

She's "hands-on"... she's a "gig", she's "roadside", man.

How come?

They feel dishonest, and tend to coddle social taboos that should be overthrown.

snip
Muchos gracias :hail:

They feel dishonest, and tend to coddle social taboos that should be overthrown.

Now now, don't get PC on us Soheran. :p

Now now, don't get PC on us Soheran. :p

Hey, he asked.

More importantly, almost without fail, they sound stupid.

At my age, I have been known to have "senior moments." Sometimes they have extended to as long as "senior days."

They feel dishonest, and tend to coddle social taboos that should be overthrown.

Often they are worse than what they are trying to "protect" you from.

I don't like euphemisms they are the enemy of clarity.

"That's like Jesus on a pogo stick."

It's a reference to a number of foul family oaths related to Jesus on a pogostick. I can't post any of them without getting modded, though.

Why not? I could post "Jesus H. fucking frog on a hopped up chariot driven pogo stick" and I doubt I'd get modded. I've not yet seen someone get modded for swearing unless they were doing it in such a manner that it counted as flaming or flame bait.

Each phrase has it´s explanation, darling.

Some of which are ALSO in Spanish.

Smuggling Grapes
What a man wearing a speedo is doing.

Unless they're smuggling eggs, walnuts, or coconuts.

How come?

Because euphemisms are for the differently brained.

When I was a volunteer for the State Emergency Service, and were on search and rescue operations, if we found the person we were looking for and they were alive we would notify over the radio back to HQ that we had found a golf ball, if the person was dead we would say that we have found a golf bag.

Love (ooh-la-la).

"Manifest Destiny" (mine!).

God (sadistic force).

Wise (old).

"Strict Constructionist Judges" = Will ban abortion and not let queers get married.

"Family Values" = Hates gay people and is anti-choice. Also is against equal pay for women, believing they need to stay in the kitchen.

I am surprised this hasn't come up yet: erectile dysfunction.

I absolutely hate the euphemisms "pro-choice" and "pro-life". You cannot have two pro- positions on the same issue, people! It's pro-abortion (or if you want to be pedantic, pro-abortion rights) and anti-abortion (again, if you want to be pedantic, anti-abortion rights).
And it's very odd how many "pro-lifers" are for the death penalty and were for the war in Iraq and just show a general disregard for life.

Oh yeah, that reminds me: "capital punishment".

Smuggling Grapes
What a man wearing a speedo is doing.

really? I thought Smuggling Grapes referred to a woman wearing no bra in an air conditioned room.

Why hasn't anyone discussed some of the greatest euphemisms of from the US military?:
pacification = we wiped out a village and we think we may have killed some of the enemy there
winning their hearts and minds = alternately bribing them and scaring them to death
collateral damage = We fucked up and accidentally killed some civillians
friendly fire = We fucked up and accidentally killed some of our guys
Mission Accomplished = I don't know shit from beans

Why hasn't anyone discussed some of the greatest euphemisms of from the US military?:
pacification = we wiped out a village and we think we may have killed some of the enemy there
winning their hearts and minds = alternately bribing them and scaring them to death
collateral damage = We fucked up and accidentally killed some civillians
friendly fire = We fucked up and accidentally killed some of our guys
Mission Accomplished = I don't know shit from beansThat, my friend, is what they would call FUBAR.

She's "hands-on"... she's a "gig", she's "roadside", man.

Yay Comics Curmudgeon reference! :D

"Inappropriate."

We don't use the b-word any more. It's inappropriate.

"bad" of course!

Smuggling Grapes
What a man wearing a speedo is doing.

Or if you have even less masculine pride: smuggling a budgie

(budgerigar -- a miniature parrot with a tiny beak)

I generally loathe euphemisms, but I have particular hatred for "to sleep with," because it has left the language bereft of a simple way to say "to share a bed or other sleeping accommodations in a totally platonic manner with." I've slept with many of my friends without sleeping with them. It's also inane insofar as people will cheerfully use it to mean "to have a quickie up against the wall at 2 in the afternoon," an activity which bears no discernible resemblance to sleeping.

My favorite might be "airborne toxic event." :tongue:

...because it has left the language bereft of a simple way to say "to share a bed or other sleeping accommodations in a totally platonic manner with."

There's "to sleep with nonsexually".

I generally loathe euphemisms, but I have particular hatred for "to sleep with," because it has left the language bereft of a simple way to say "to share a bed or other sleeping accommodations in a totally platonic manner with." I've slept with many of my friends without sleeping with them. It's also inane insofar as people will cheerfully use it to mean "to have a quickie up against the wall at 2 in the afternoon," an activity which bears no discernible resemblance to sleeping.

Right on!

I don't often sleep with other people (in the literal sense) but I have a friend who does. She just says "share the bed" but it isn't as accurate.

There's "to sleep with nonsexually".

Interestingly, that qualification has eleven letters. "To sleep with" has eleven letters.

Hardly elegant language.

Even worse if you use it in an actual sentence. "My sister slept with him once, and says he doesn't snore." "My sister slept nonsexually with him once, and says he doesn't snore."

See the problem? By having to introduce that awkward qualification, you have to make a reference to exactly what you don't mean.

They feel dishonest, and tend to coddle social taboos that should be overthrown.

I quite understand if you don't answer this, in a small and declining thread.

Are all social taboos in need of overthrowing?

Seems to me that taboos are collective memory of speech and public examination of genuine disagreements. We avoid the subjects which have caused trouble between us, in the social past if not in our individual pasts.

The critical question for me is: does the possibility of general agreement on the subject of the taboo justify the conflict that overthrowing the taboo (and discussing it openly) would involve? Do we get better policy, as a whole society, when taboo subjects are opened ... or do we bring social policy into families, into workplaces, into casual associations and replicate the partisanship of politics in our daily lives?

One is good (depriving public policy of the appeal to "family values" and other such coded win-or-draw tricks) and the other is bad (dividing people into "false tribes" of ideology, at every level not just as voting citizens) ... so I ask again:

ALL taboos? And, all at once or do you have an agenda of which taboos to overthrow first?