How many layers of obfuscation on the average euphemism?

[Dan Goncharoff]

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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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> 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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