early euphemism of the year candidate--"artificial calamari"

[Amy West]

On 1/23/13 1:05 AM, Automatic digest processor wrote:
> Date:    Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:51:54 -0500
> From:    Jonathan Lighter<wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: early euphemism of the year candidate--"artificial calamari"
>           (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
> I agree. "Artificial calamari" says it's fake right there in the name.
>
> What kind of euphemism is that?
>
> JL
I heard that This American Life segment as well. And I have to say that
where you all (and those on the show) are saying "artificial," I would
be using "imitation" (as in "imitation crab," "imitation vanilla extract").

Is it a "euphemism" along the lines of "sweetbread" (thymus or pancreas)
or "head cheese" (a sausage or "jellied mass" [gotta love that W3 def:
yum!] made from meat from the pig's head, feet, tongue, and heart)?

---Amy West

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