#euphemism

Users of clichés frequently have more sinister intentions beyond laziness and conventional thinking. Relabelling events often entails subtle changes of meaning. War produces many euphemisms, downplaying or giving verbal respectability to savagery and slaughter. ↗

— Patrick Cockburn

#conventional-thinking #euphemism #language #laziness #savagery

You're a psychopath." "I prefer creative. ↗

— Becca Fitzpatrick

#euphemism #labels #creativity

Asymmetrical warfare is a euphemism for terrorism, just like collateral damage is a euphemism for killing innocent civilians. ↗

— Alan Dershowitz

#collateral #damage #euphemism #innocent #innocent civilians

Sleeping together is a euphemism for people, but tantamount to marriage with cats. ↗

— Marge Piercy

#euphemism #marriage #people #sleeping #tantamount

You are a manipulator. I like to think of myself more as an outcome engineer. ↗

— J.R. Ward

#comedy #dark #euphemism #label #manipulation

How easy is murder when one calls it by a different name? How much easier is it for the conscience to condone “reaping” than “killing”—and when one knows that death isn’t the end, does it stop the killing hand for fear of retribution, or does it simply make it easier to kill, because, if life continues, how can murder be murder at all? ↗

— Neal Shusterman

#euphemisms #killing #responsibility #death

Then, as on the night before, we lay down together and I proved how great our friendship had become. ↗

— Henry M. Christman

#glbt #m-m-erotic-romance #friendship

Some kids get called 'bundles of joy' or 'slices of heaven' or 'dreams come true.' We got 'the fifty-fourth generation of DNA experiments.' Doesn't have the same warm and fuzzy feel. But maybe I'm oversensitive. ↗

— James Patterson

#euphemisms #humor #max #maximum-ride #maxride

How is it possible to have a civil war? ↗

— George Carlin

#funny #humor #terminology #war #funny

You're not allowed to call them dinosaurs any more," said Yo-less. "It's speciesist. You have to call them pre-petroleum persons. ↗

— Terry Pratchett

#euphemism #humour #political-correctness #humour