More euphemisms: "pervasive language"

[Ronald Butters]

nice talk, y'all!


On Mar 17, 2012, at 9:25 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:

> Clearly in these cases, which I've been noticing for several years,
> "language" means "offensive language" precisely as Neal says.
>
> I've even heard news stories where somebody was accused of using, without
> further elaboration in the *immediate* context, "some language."
>
>
> JL
>
> On Fri, Mar 16, 2012 at 11:13 PM, Neal Whitman <nwhitman at ameritech.net>wrote:
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Neal Whitman <nwhitman at AMERITECH.NET>
>> Subject:      Re: More euphemisms:  "pervasive language"
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Yes, agreed, by our old definition of "language". But if "language" now
>> means "offensive language" in this context, then "mild language" means
>> "mild
>> offensive language" as opposed to "strong offensive language", and
>> "pervasive language" means "pervasive offensive language".
>>
>> Neal
>>
>>>
>>> I do get it.  Although if "language" means "offensive or obscene
>>> language", it can't be "mild".
>>>
>>> But -- "Mild" I can understand -- it's a quality.  "Obscene" or
>>> "blasphemous" I can understand.  But "pervasive" I can't place on a
>>> scale.  "Pervasive offensive language" would make sense for an R, as
>>> opposed to "occasional offensive language" meriting a PG, or whatever.
>>>
>>> Joel
>>
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>>
>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
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