How many layers of obfuscation on the average euphemism?

[Jonathan Lighter]

There's no direct theory to show that "fired" comes from "discharge," but
it's semantically and synchronically plausible.

To "fire" somebody comes (in print) from the post-Civil War era, whose
young men may have been unusually conscious of the "discharging" and
"firing" of guns and rifles.

JL

On Wed, Mar 14, 2012 at 11:13 AM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: How many layers of obfuscation on the average euphemism?
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Just scanning recent NYTimes usages, "fired" seems to mean fired, ie,
> employment was terminated by the employer, and not because of a business
> slowdown.
>
> DanG
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 8:17 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>
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> > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > Subject:      Re: How many layers of obfuscation on the average
> euphemism?
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > At 3/13/2012 07:31 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > >Even if "fire" is not a legal or technical term in the strict sense
> (i.e.,
> > >having a professionally limited and recognized definition), the
> > >distinctions he mentions seem real enough.
> >
> > My point earlier was that I don't see the distinction (which I agree
> > some, including myself, make) being rigorously maintained in in
> > newspapers of record (NYT, BGlobe).
> >
> > Joel
> >
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