Lexicology and Lexicography

October 2014
Euphemisms the English language: Origin of the term, definitions and examples
Introduction
This paper deals with euphemisms in the English language in general, but also offers
an overview of some of the examples of euphemisms for sex. First, etymology and history of
the term euphemism will be discussed. After that follows a brief overview of several
definitions of euphemisms, after which their progression is mentioned. Finally, examples of
euphemisms for sexual encounters are given, ranging from the 19th century to present day.
Etymology and history
In order to be polite and not to offend others or embarrass themselves, people tend to shroud
delicate or unpleasant concepts. This is where euphemisms are used, both in written and
spoken communication, to mask unpleasant implications of certain expressions.
The English word euphemism first occurred in a book by Thomas Blount,
Glossographia, written in 1656 (Burchfield 13). According to the The American Heritage
Dictionary of the English Language, the term euphemism comes from Greek euphmismos,
from euphmizein, which means to use auspicious words, and is derived from the Greek rootwords eu, meaning good or well and pheme, meaning speech or speaking. According to
Euphemisms: history, types and examples, a eupheme was first used as a word or phrase
placed instead of a religious word or phrase that was not to be spoken aloud. Also, from an
etymological perspective, the eupheme is the opposite of the blaspheme, which would mean
speaking badly. Euphemisms were first used by the ancient Greeks and meant to keep a holy
silence, or in other words, to speak well by not speaking at all.

Definitions
Euphemisms have been widely discussed and defined, and Gomez offers a broad
overview of some of the definitions. He classifies them in two main categories, the
extralinguistic definitions and the linguistic definitions. He states that the extralinguistic
definitions are psychological and they all deal with the causes that produce the euphemism
(Gomez 727). One of the definitions is from Hatzfeld, who says that the euphemism consists
of the substitution of an unpleasant word by another, pleasant one when the first is to be
avoided for reasons of religious fear, moral scruples or courtesy (qtd. in Gomez 727). Du
Marsais states that euphemism is a figure which is used to disguise unpleasant, hateful or sad
ideas, with names which are not in any way the proper names of these ideas; they serve as a
veil, and they express these ideas with an appearance that is more pleasant, less shocking, or
more honest, according to necessity (qtd. in Gomez 727). Another definition is from
Vendryes, who says that the euphemism is simply a polite and elegant form of what is called
forbidden vocabulary (qtd. in Gomez 727). Asher and Simpson state that the euphemism
provides a way of speaking about the unspeakable (). It falls midway between transparent
discourse and total prohibition. It is the would-be safe area of language, constrained by
decorum (qtd. in Gomez 728). All of these definitions agree on how to define euphemisms,
but they classify them according to their motivation, and not because of its mechanism or
linguistic resources (Gomez 728).
Gomez shows two ways of linguistically defining euphemisms. The first one
encompasses the area of lexical semantics where Gomez deals mostly with Senabres
definition. Senabre observes euphemism as a part of synonymy and he offers an analysis of
synchronic and diachronic features of that placement. From a diachronic point of view,
euphemism is a part of the broad synonymic phenomenon (Gomez 729), but that does not
mean that euphemisms can be completely identified with synonymy, because euphemisms are

more unstable and transitory than synonyms (Gomez 729). He also states that differences can
be observed among speakers when they choose a euphemistic substitute. Those differences
depend on education, sex, social class and the cultural level of the person. From a synchronic
point of view, those differences must be resoluble, which means that they must be understood
correctly by the hearer, since the linguistic levels of the speaker and the hearer need not
always be the same. Senabre states that there really is a distinguishing feature, of a
synchronic nature, between synonymy and euphemism () just as synonymy is produced by
the hearer for the speaker there are no synonyms so euphemism is produced by the
speaker and thus may not be correctly interpreted by the hearer (Gomez 730). After this,
Senabre offers a final definition of euphemisms, which is resoluble lexical syncretism
produced at the level of the content by the speaker, and which is shown only in the extensive
or unmarked term (qtd. in Gomez 730).
The second way of linguistically defining euphemisms is from a pragmatic standpoint.
The definition by Allan and Burridge says that a euphemism is used as an alternative to a
dispreferred expression, in order to avoid possible loss of face: either ones own face or,
through giving offence, that of the audience, or of some third party (qtd. in Gomez 732).
Alcaraz Var and Martnez Linares point out that the euphemism is born from social
pressure, sometimes at the cost of clarity of communication. From a communicative point of
view, the euphemism (...) forms part of the strategies necessary for the maxim of courtesy,
especially out of respect for the right of the hearer not to be offended or upset, provided that
neither the intelligibility of the message, nor its sincerity, necessary for the maxim of quality,
is lost (qtd. in Gomez 733).
This classification of definitions into extralinguistic and linguistic is a valid one, but
for the purposes of this paper we must understand that these definitions inevitably mix and
fuse with each other, because the need for creating certain linguistic expressions such as

euphemism stems from the need of the speakers who use that language to describe and soften
certain concepts. Euphemisms are not only linguistic devices, but serve a more general
purpose, which is to preserve social harmony in communication and to avoid any
facethreatening acts (Jamet 4). Euphemistic language is commonly referred to as
deodorizing language (Allan and Burridge 25) to avoid mentioning a taboo. Another way of
avoiding mentioning taboos is by using dysphemisms. Euphemisms and dysphemisms are, as
Allan and Burridge state, obverse sides of the same coin (qtd. in Jamet 4). As Jamet points
out, euphemism cannot be restricted to a stylistic or lexical device, but needs to be considered
as an everyday phenomenon, a form of verbal behavior (Crespo Fernndez, qtd. in Jamet 4),
which serves a specific purpose in social discourse.
Progression of euphemisms
Euphemisms often evolve or progress in the process of pejoration. Many times
euphemisms become taboo words because they lose their neutral euphemistic value and take
on the negative meaning of the concept they refer to.
For example, the term idiot was used for an adult person who was underdeveloped and
had the mental age of a toddler, imbecile was used for an adult of a mental age of a
preschooler, while moron was used for an adult with the mental age of a child that would
attend primary school. The connotations of those expressions have changed and now they are
used as insults. A similar progression happened with what began with the word lame, which
meant disabled so that movement, especially walking, is difficult or impossible (The
American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language). Lame turned into crippled, then
handicapped, then disabled, then physically challenged, and finally differently abled. Each
previous euphemism gathered unpleasant connotations. This is a common occurrence, and
understandably so, since euphemisms tend to mask the unpleasant meaning of certain

concepts. In that way, it is almost inevitable that when they become very common they will
begin to remind the communicators of the original displeasing concept and will have to be
replaced again.
Euphemisms for sex in the English language
In various cultures there are certain words and topics which are not supposed to be
discussed directly. The most common topics include religion, politics, death, sex, different
body parts and their functions, and diseases (Pour). Out of all these topics, sex has the most
euphemistic expressions attributed to it. There are plenty of euphemistic expressions for sex
in the English language as well. In Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue published in 1811 in
England there are several euphemisms listed for sex (MentalFloss.com). Some of these are:
1. amorous congress a very polite option
2. basket-making comes from a method of making childrens stockings where knitting
the heel was called basket-making
3. bread and butter in a sense that there is one person on top of another
4. brush marked a brief, meaningless sexual encounter
5. clicket originally used for foxes, but it became less specific and could be applied to
people as well
6. face-making probably similar to making babies
7. blanket hornpipe
8. blow the grounsils grounsils are foundation timbers, which would mean an intense
sexual encounter, or one happening on the floor
9. convivial society a more subtle term, similar to amorous congress
10. take a flyer a brief sexual encounter
11. green gown a sexual encounter happening in nature
12. lobster kettle a woman who slept with soldiers coming in at port was said to make a
lobster kettle of herself
13. melting moments a sexual encounter between obese people
14. pully hawly a series of affairs
15. St. George describes a sexual position; in the story of St. George and the Dragon, the
dragon comes from the lake and towers over St. George, so in this sense the woman is
the dragon and is on top
16. a stitch similar to brush, a casual affair

17. tiff a brief, quick sexual encounter

These euphemisms are now old-fashioned and are not used anymore because their
references are outdated. However, there are many more new ones in use today and newer ones
are continuously created. Some of these expressions are (Glossary of Sexual Euphemisms,
Amog.com, Cracked.com):
1. action regarding sexual intercourse as a physical activity
2. blanket drill to have sexual intercourse in a bed
3. get into someones pants
4. get it on
5. get some
6. go to bed with
7. sleep with
8. make love
9. making babies since the result of unprotected sexual intercourse is a baby
10. roll in the hay sexual activity which is quick and enjoyable and does not involve
serious feelings
11. be intimate with someone
12. carnal knowledge sexual intercourse, used especially of an unlawful act on the part
of the man
13. get your leg over
14. go all the way
15. hankie pankie a euphemism for sexual intercourse, especially that of a casual and
saucy nature. It is of a quite recent origin and has not been mentioned prior to 1968
when an entry is found in the Scottish National Dictionary.
16. wham bam and thank you ma'am a very brief and casual sexual intercourse
These are some of the more euphemized euphemisms. There are many expressions
which are more blunt, but also, while researching the modern euphemistic expressions for sex
in English, I have noticed that there are many more dysphemistic expressions, meaning those
which describe a derogatory expression that replaces a neutral expression, which could be
considered offensive to one of the sexes, depending on the expression. The primary purpose
of this paper was not answering why this is so, but it is certainly a very interesting topic for
further research.

Conclusion
There are certain words and concepts which are not supposed to be directly talked
about in different cultures. So, to avoid the negative connotations, euphemisms are used. Hailong states that language and culture are inseparable from each other. As an inalienable part
of language, euphemism bears the mark of culture (Hai-long 54). He also adds that it can be
easily tracked in our conversation and they reflect different levels of culture and various
patterns of culture. To some extent, euphemism is a mirror of culture (Hai-long 55).
Language adjusts to social needs and there will always be a need for politeness, which means
there will always be a need for euphemisms. They will either be used to be polite, or out of
respect, or some other similar reason. It is important to understand that euphemisms and their
use differ among different cultures because of differences in history, customs and values.
As Allan states, euphemism motivates language change by promoting new expressions
or new meanings for old expressions, as well as it causes parts of the existing vocabulary to
be abandoned (Allan 5). In that way, euphemisms encourage language creativity. Euphemism
will always be present in language because the linguistic cannot be separated from the social.

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