Examples:
“Down there” = Vagina
“Lady Parts” / “Backside” = Vagina/Buttocks
“That time of the month” or “Aunt Flo”= Menstrual Cycle
“Change of life” or “The change” = Menopause
“Miss” = Miscarriage
Euphemisms have become heavily imbedded in our culture. They are often overlooked because of how normalized they have become. They are so common that we are oblivious to their use in everyday language.
Euphemisms are said to represent a way to comfort and reduce tension when having a serious or uncomfortable conversation. Faure (2016) states that, “every human has been pre-programmed to find ways to talk about tabooed subjects.”
One example of euphemism commonly used is the word “miss” for miscarriages. As we know, miscarriages are difficult to talk about and discussion of pregnancy loss is generally avoided in our society. Using euphemisms in medical settings is often guided by the patients themselves. Patients make up their own way of saying things so that it makes them feel better and doctors follow their lead (Faure, 2016).
Using euphemisms may not seem like much of a big deal because it helps to simplify medical terms and make them easier to talk about. Although this may be true, oversimplifying difficult topics may also take away from the meaning and severity of the situation, which, in turn, can lead to misunderstanding.
Further, if we aren’t even willing to say the words like miscarriage or pregnancy loss, how can we expect others to feel comfortable talking about them? Although not intentional, euphemisms contribute to the awkwardness inherent in conversations surrounding pregnancy loss.
Faure, P. (2016) Euphemism as a core feature of patientese: A comparative study between English and French. De Gruyter Mouton, 6, 167-184, doi: 10.1515/cerceles-2016-0008.W
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