Euphemisms
George Carlin famously described how the phrase “shell shock”, used in WWI, evolved to “battle fatigue” in WWII, then “operational exhaustion” in the Korean War, then “post traumatic stress disorder” in the Vietnam War. In the process, it gained six syllables and lost all of its power.
I have started to collect some more euphemisms. This list will grow over time as I discover new ones.
| Old | New | Extra syllables | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jail | Correctional facility | 7 | Jail in Soledad CA |
| Life vest | Personal flotation device | 6 | REI.com |
| Firing | Purposeful Darwinism | 5 | Amazon HR |
| Rough trail | Varying Surface Conditions | 6 | Burlington VT Bike Trail |
| Low bridge | Impaired Vertical Clearance | 5 | |
| Used cars | Pre-Owned Vehicles | 3 | Car dealers everywhere |