the new "euphemism"

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The New York Times article referenced by George included an
interesting later passage. The Times art reviewer used two different
phrases in the article that might refer to the same section of a large
installation: "neon signs that list euphemisms or the vagina" and
later "a thesaurus-worth of slang words for the female anatomy". (Note
that it is also possible that two different artworks (or sections)
were being referenced.)

Yesterday, I posted a link to a webpage with an image of an artwork by
Jason Rhoades. Many words were written in neon but I think the
descriptor "slang words" is more accurate than "euphemisms".

Website: New York Times
Title: Art Review: The Obsessions of a Straight American Guy: ‘Jason
Rhoades: Four Roads’ at Penn
Author: Karen Rosenberg
Publication date: December 19, 2013

[Begin excerpt]
And the installation “Untitled (from My Madinah: In pursuit of my
ermitage ...)” (2004/2013) is a rather tame sampling of a provocative
series of installations and performances, the title of which can’t be
repeated here. It might ruffle a few feathers, with a thesaurus-worth
of slang words for the female anatomy and its exoticized, souklike
interior (the equivalent, perhaps, to the man cave of “Cherry
Makita.”)
[End excerpt]


On Sun, Dec 22, 2013 at 12:00 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: the new "euphemism"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> At 12/22/2013 08:39 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>>I believe I observed some years ago that "euphemism" has become the favored
>>TV-yakker word for "synonym," just as "misnomer" is the word they use for
>>"misconception." And "substitute" for "replace."
>
> If they don't understand "vagina", there's a lot of room for misconception.
>
> Joel
>
>
>>JL
>>
>>
>>On Sun, Dec 22, 2013 at 5:06 AM, W Brewer <brewerwa at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> > -----------------------
>> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> > Poster:       W Brewer <brewerwa at GMAIL.COM>
>> > Subject:      Re: the new "euphemism"
>> >
>> >
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> >
>> > JD: <<<... vagina ... vulva > ... womb ... "uterus" ... Clearly, it's a
>> > case of the part for the whole.>>
>> > WB: Or the whole for the hole.
>> >
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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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