The Role Of Euphemisms In Australian Culture

This essay will examine and explore the question “Do euphemisms change the way we think about the topics they are describing?” The second part of the essay will discuss this topic in relation to a set of terms I encounter in everyday life. So to answer the first question, my response is yes. This essay will examine and explore the meaning of euphemism, why it is used and how it has become part of Australian culture. By its very definition the word euphemism means “the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant” (Merriam-Webster, 2015). Leech (1990, p. 46) describes this “a euphemism is usually used when the original word has very negative affective associations.

Over time, the new word or phrase takes on the meaning for example ‘collateral damage’ is a term I have heard on many occasions used by either the military or Government when describing innocent people who have been killed or injured during an attack on a target. Bolinger (1980, p. 74) describes this as “the domino theory of euphemism: ―the fall of each term leads to the fall of the next, and in some areas of meaning we find an endless series of terms each of which had its day of innocence and then fell from grace”. Pinker (2007), labels this as a ‘euphemism treadmill’ stating that people ‘become tainted by their connection to a fraught concept, prompting people to reach for an unspoiled term, which only gets sullied in its turn’. Writers employ the use of euphemisms to deliver massages that are either social taboos, embarrassing or to distasteful to mention in public. In some cases writers are trying to avoid political or social censorship laws or religious persecution and death, therefore allowing euphemisms to touch on these issues. Here are some common examples of

The use of euphemisms makes approaching a difficult or taboo subject easier. By sugar coating a particular topic or perhaps touching on taboo topics through the use of euphemisms allows us to communicate in a polite way. By sugar coating the truth behind euphemisms are we in fact disempowering ourselves? When I use the word disempower, it is meant to imply that we may be allowing certain members, leaders and government officials to spin us a story so they are seen in the best light. Perhaps governments try use fear or scaremongering to pass legislation through ‘in our best interest’. I often feel frustrated and shake my head in disgust when I watch question time in Parliament house and I witness the gobbledygook pouring out of a politician mouth. There really is a hidden art to avoid answering a direct question. All of that being said I believe that the downside to the overuse and abuse of euphemisms tend to desensitize an individual or community to the gravity of a situation. I often wonder when speakers of another language holiday or move to Australia cope with our unique euphemisms. I imagine the use of euphemisms can also be difficult to comprehend if you are not raised with that particular cultural