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word of the day

The word for today is…

euphemism (noun):
: the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : Euphemism comes from Greek euphemos, which means “uttering sounds of good omen,” “fair-sounding,” or “auspicious.” The first part of that root is the prefix eu-, meaning “good.” The second part is phemos, a Greek word for “speech.” Euphemisms can take different forms, but they all involve substituting a word or phrase considered to be less offensive than another. The substituted word might, for example, be viewed as a less coarse choice, as when dang or darn is used instead of damn or damned. Or it might replace a word viewed as insulting to a religious figure, such as the various euphemisms for God (gad, gadzooks, gosh) or Jesus (gee, jeepers, jeez). A euphemism may also consist of an indirect softening phrase that is substituted for the straightforward naming of something unpalatable. Thus, we hear of people being “let go” rather than “fired”; civilians killed in war described as “collateral damage”; or someone who has died having “kicked the bucket,” “passed away, “given up the ghost,” or “joined one’s ancestors.”

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