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" Euphemisms "

/ PART TWO /



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Common Euphemisms Used in Everyday English

Euphemisms for Sensitive Topics


◇ Financial Issues:


"Financially challenged" instead of "broke"


"Economically disadvantaged" instead of "poor"


◇ Bathroom-related Terms:


"Use the restroom" instead of "go to the toilet"


" Answer the call of nature "       instead of "go to the bathroom"


Cultural Variations


Euphemisms can vary across cultures and regions. For example, some cultures might have different euphemisms for death, illness, or money.




Why Do We Use Euphemisms?

Reasons for Using Euphemisms


Politeness: To soften difficult       or uncomfortable subjects.


Tact: To avoid offending       someone or to be sensitive to their feelings.


Formality: Sometimes, euphemisms make language sound more formal, especially in professional or official       settings.


Humour: Euphemisms can also be used humorously, making serious topics sound lighter.



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#831


Hello again欢迎来到Happy Hour英文小酒馆。关注公众号璐璐的英文小酒馆,加入我们的酒馆社群,邂逅更精彩更广阔的世界


Hi, everyone and welcome back to Happy Hour. 欢迎回来酒馆. Hi, 安澜.


Hi, lulu, hi, everyone.


Which moves us on to physical appearance. I know a word that you can replace old with, which is mature.


Mature like a fine wine.


Interestingly, when English learners hear the word mature, they think of the direct translation, 成熟. Because for us, 成熟 is once you're an adult, you're mature, but be very careful in English when people talk about “she's a mature lady”, we're not talking about this person has just grown up to be like 18 or 20. We're talking about at least close to their retirement age.


Yeah. If you wanna say in terms of not being a child, then you would say that “she's grown up” or “she acts in a mature way”. So We would use that for children “he's mature for his age.”


You have to be very, very careful with the word mature because I've seen people who are actually just trying to find a woman basically who knows who she is, who's not childish, but then ended up writing on dating Apps “I'm looking for a mature woman”. Yes. Because then you're looking basically for “older” women.


Yes.


Like in their 50s at least.


Even that is a euphemism, older woman, not old woman, you don't say old woman, you say older.


Older and mature in English basically means old essentially, but you also hear mature students.


Yes.


就有点像我们说的成人学生, they're not school age, university age anymore. Physical appearance, what else, instead of fat, there are lots of words you can...


So many, full figured, curvy ,if you're describing a woman.


Plus size .


Plus size. So I think what you would say for a man really.


Big boned?


Big boned, chubby.


Chubby is not even that euphemistic, but full figured, I quite like this. It's almost like people who are skinny, they haven't grown into their full figure.


Yes.


So full figured basically are used to talk about especially women who are on the plump side. 比较丰满比较丰腴的女性, 你去看大码女装里面, 她用的都是full figure或者plus size. Full figure, figure这个词本来是这个身材的意思, 这就好像她的身材是完整的身材, 一个full figured.


Yes.


And moving on to financial issues talking about like poverty or poor seems to be a word that people want to avoid.


Yeah. Sometimes you might hear the expression financially challenged.


Yeah. You can basically say everything challenged, for example, you say obviously physically challenged to mean people with physical disability. Mhm. Can I just call myself vertically challenged because I'm short.


You can do.


So financially challenged basically means broke, no money.


Yeah. And this is quite a formal expression, so it's used in very very formal contexts, same as economically disadvantaged.


Economically disadvantaged basically means poor, but I always feel like economically disadvantage, or disenfranchised, or underprivileged, it also kind of has that feeling of society hasn't been giving them fair treatment.


Yeah. So some people prefer that expression, personally I don't like it. I think it's a bit patronizing.


It is patronizing. But I would use low income.


Yeah, I think that sounds slightly better.


Call it as it is really.


Yeah. And finally we can't avoid this anymore. Bathroom, going to the toilet.


I mean you don't really need to say anything. I would really just say, excuse me and I would just leave.


Yeah, but you might say use the restroom or so for example we said the same way as the toilet you might say where can I use the restroom?


Where can I use the restroom?


Yeah. Or as a bit of a joke, we might say answer the call of nature.


你知道中文叫什么吗? 叫人有三急, answer the call of nature, nature calls就是大自然在召唤你. Basically it means you know you have this natural needs to go to the toilet.


By the way, do you guys say number one, number two?


We do, we do, a bit more now, but it's more... still quite American.


Number one, number two其实也有一点点euphemistic 只不过更具体, 就是小号和大号. 中文叫小号, 大号就是small and big, and you can guess which one is number one, which one is number two.


I always remember when I was a little kid you know in French, “oui” is yes, yeah. And “wee” in English is pee. And my dad actually told me that “no” in French is “poo” and I believed him.


And you went to French class, and when the teacher is asking questions, you go “oui” “oui”  and then “poo”.


Yes.


You have a little bit of a special case aren't you?


I was about like four or five at that time.


Blame your dad for that.


Yes.


All right. And with that cute little joke, we're gonna end this episode. Share with us in the comment section what other euphemistic expressions, euphemisms that you can think of, either in Chinese or in English, or if you want to put in any request for other topics, let us know.


So until next time.


I'll see you next time.


Bye


Bye.



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文稿校对:王全勤 & Jenny

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