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Euʹphemisms

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Words or phrases substituted, to soften down offensive expressions.

Place never mentioned to ears polite. In the reign of Charles II., a worthy divine of Whitehall thus concluded his sermon: “If you donʹt live up to the precepts of the Gospel … you must expect to receive your reward in a certain place which ʹtis not good manners to mention here” (Laconics). Pope tells us this worthy divine was a dean:—

“To rest the cushton and soft dean invite,

Who never mentioned hell to ears polite.”


Moral Essays, epist. iv. 49, 50.

“His Satanic majesty;” “light-fingered gentry;” “a gentleman on his travels” (one transported); “she has met with an accident” (has had a child before marriage); “help” or “employé” (a servant); “not quite correct” (a falsehood); “an obliquity of vision” (a squint); “an innocent” (a fool), “beldam” (an ugly woman), and hundreds of others.

 

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.

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Eudoxians
Eugenius
Eugubine Tables
Eulalie (St.)
Eulen-spiegel (Thyl)
Eumæos
Eumenides [the good-tempered goddesses]
Eumnestes [Memory]
Eunomians
Eupatridæ
Euphemisms
Eureka
Eurus
Eurydicē
Eustathians
Eutychians
Euxine Sea (The)
Evangelic Doctor (The)
Evangeline.
Evangelist
Evangelists

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