the new "euphemism"

Laurence Horn laurence.horn at YALE.EDU
Sun Dec 22 02:07:24 UTC 2013


On Dec 21, 2013, at 7:21 PM, George Thompson wrote:

> From the NYTimes of a day or so ago, from an article on a exhibit of work
> by Jason Rhoades.
>
> "And each installation has something to say about the stereotypical,
> sex-obsessed, heterosexual American male; one piece is littered with
> printouts of Internet pornography, another covered with neon signs that
> list euphemisms or [sic] the vagina."
>
> In that the NYTimes -- pure in word, thought and deed, as always --
> couldn't bring itself to print any of these euphemisms, I surmise that they
> are really synonyms -- obscene synonyms, but still.
>
> I suppose that this is a sign that now "euphemism" is a synonym for
> "synonym".
> So what's a synonym for "euphemism", for the use of those of us who prefer
> to be understood as saying what we intended to be understood as saying?
>
> GAT
> in dismay.
>
> If this be prescriptivism, make the most of it.


Or a typo for "neon signs that list euphemisms for the vagina", not "...or the vagina".
We'll have to go the gallery to know for sure.

LH

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