Monday, February 18, 2008

Euphemistic expiry by K in Denver

Since Alex is accumulating deathly euphemisms, here are a few fairly old-fashioned contributions:

...turned up his toes
...stuck his spoon in the wall
...pegged out
...joined the great majority
...gave an obolus to Charon
...breathed his last
...left behind this world of woe
...went to his long home
...went to his eternal rest
...paid the debt of nature

I also here submit my favorite excretory euphemism, "to go where even the czar walks" -- an expression which had a number of my college acquaintance saying, "I'll be right back; I'm just going to walk my czar."

But what about more lively euphemisms, such as euphemisms for euphoria, or euphony? There are many expressions, including metaphorical, for these; but are any of those expressions euphemisms?
Can there be a euphemism for something already euphemic in itself?


K in Denver
toes curled under, spoons in drawer, often unpeggable, distinctly among the minority, definitely breathing, reasonably at home in this world and unconvinced that it's inherently woeful, frequently restless, and still in debt (though not to Charon)

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