A euphonious euphemism for "hidden fees"?

Laurence Horn laurence.horn at YALE.EDU
Tue Oct 13 23:41:00 UTC 2009


At 7:17 PM -0400 10/13/09, Joel S. Berson wrote:
>Insignificant (at least two ready explanations), but it amused me:
>
>>From an article on a federal suit, which is apparently seeking
>class-action certification; Boston Globe, today, Business section.
>
>"Specifically, the complaint accused Zipcar of unfairly charging
>customers with a 'discreet medley of customer charges.'"
>
Here's a dysphemism (or two), to balance the ledger.  (Note the last
sentence of the letter.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/health/13lett-THEVALUEOFAB_LETTERS.html
The Value of Absurdity
Published: October 12, 2009

To the Editor,

Re "How Nonsense Sharpens the Intellect" (Mind, Oct. 6): Benedict
Carey's article states that it's uncertain whether absurdity would be
helpful with "explicit learning, like memorizing French." I am sure
that researchers will soon realize that absurdity can be helpful in
all subjects.

All languages are comprised of multiple patterns. For example, I am
learning attic Greek. All verbs, nouns and adjectives will act in set
ways depending on their usage. If something looks incorrect - or
absurd - I am compelled to find a pattern.

The initial absurdity I felt was due to my ignorance of linguistic
patterns - wherein absurdity acted as the impotence for comprehension
and eventual memorization.

Mary Brown
Fairfield, Conn.

============
or, as we might say anymore, "the erectile dysfunction for comprehension".

More a malapropism than an eggcorn, I assume.  Not to mention the
typographer who (I assume) turned the writer's "Attic Greek" into
"attic Greek"...

LH

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



More information about the Ads-l mailing list