Last Name 1 Name Lecturer Course Date Euphemism in political speech Communication is not only a matter of exchanging talks but also a matter of being polite andknowing how to send the message without affecting the face of the interlocutor. In the course of communication, speakers often face cognitive dissonance inducing situations in which there is aneed to choose between referring to something directly or relieving someone of someresponsibility by sacrificing semantic transparency and letting hearers infer the true meaning. The very existence of sharp straightforward words that may inspire fear ofsupernatural forces such as death will automatically trigger a quest for euphemism. For example, alternatives that do not arouse abomination, revulsion or dread. Euphemisms are used when one wants to name things without calling up a mental picture ofthem. The aim of using euphemisms is to strike at a person’s imagination. Euphemisms do not form complete pictures in the mind, nor do they completely define an event or object. Without acomplete definition, the ability to understand the true meaning of a statement is obscured. Therefore, sometimes using euphemisms is a good way of deceiving people and not telling the truth (Cumhuk). A euphemism could be described as a polite expression that is used in place of phrases or words that are considered unpleasant or harsh to hear. Individuals use euphemisms regularly, and there are several examples of those in everyday language use (Risher). There are a lot of euphemisms individuals encounter every day. The next time someone you are having a conversation with says something that totally has a different meaning than its literal meaning, consider that statement a euphemism. This is because the individual is avoiding using less-pleasing, less-polite or phrasing. In some cases, euphemisms are intentionally less pleasant or a grosser way of saying something. Such happens when individuals are being sarcastic or trying to make fun of a serious subject and make it look less serious. Examples of such euphemisms include using the expression ‘making whoopee’ instead of sex, ‘blowing chunks’ instead of vomiting, ‘hiding the sausage’ instead of having sex and ‘kicking the bucket’ instead of dying(Chen). Other euphemisms that are aimed at making expressions more polite include ‘biting the dust’ instead of dying, the use of the expression ‘cement shoes’ when referring to the dead and using the expression ‘batting for the other side when referring to homosexuals. Individuals also use euphemisms to make an unpleasant or blunt truth seem less harsh. Examples of phrases that fall under this category include ‘departed’ instead of died, ‘passed away’ instead of died, ‘correctional facility’ when referring to jail and referring to the handicapped or disabled as differently-abled. Other individuals used to soften expressions also include using the phrase ‘negative patient outcome’ when re ...

1. Last Name 1
Name
Lecturer
Course
Date
Euphemism in political speech
Communication is not only a matter of exchanging talks but also
a matter of being polite andknowing how to send the message
without affecting the face of the interlocutor. In the course of
communication, speakers often face cognitive dissonance
inducing situations in which there is aneed to choose between
referring to something directly or relieving someone of
someresponsibility by sacrificing semantic transparency and
letting hearers infer the true meaning. The very existence of
sharp straightforward words that may inspire fear ofsupernatural
forces such as death will automatically trigger a quest for
euphemism. For example, alternatives that do not arouse
abomination, revulsion or dread. Euphemisms are used when
one wants to name things without calling up a mental picture
ofthem. The aim of using euphemisms is to strike at a person’s
imagination. Euphemisms do not form complete pictures in the
mind, nor do they completely define an event or object. Without
acomplete definition, the ability to understand the true meaning
of a statement is obscured. Therefore, sometimes using
euphemisms is a good way of deceiving people and not telling
the truth (Cumhuk).
A euphemism could be described as a polite expression that is
used in place of phrases or words that are considered unpleasant
or harsh to hear. Individuals use euphemisms regularly, and
there are several examples of those in everyday language use
(Risher). There are a lot of euphemisms individuals encounter
every day. The next time someone you are having a
conversation with says something that totally has a different

2. meaning than its literal meaning, consider that statement a
euphemism. This is because the individual is avoiding using
less-pleasing, less-polite or phrasing. In some cases,
euphemisms are intentionally less pleasant or a grosser way of
saying something.
Such happens when individuals are being sarcastic or trying to
make fun of a serious subject and make it look less serious.
Examples of such euphemisms include using the expression
‘making whoopee’ instead of sex, ‘blowing chunks’ instead of
vomiting, ‘hiding the sausage’ instead of having sex and
‘kicking the bucket’ instead of dying(Chen). Other euphemisms
that are aimed at making expressions more polite include ‘biting
the dust’ instead of dying, the use of the expression ‘cement
shoes’ when referring to the dead and using the expression
‘batting for the other side when referring to homosexuals.
Individuals also use euphemisms to make an unpleasant or blunt
truth seem less harsh.
Examples of phrases that fall under this category include
‘departed’ instead of died, ‘passed away’ instead of died,
‘correctional facility’ when referring to jail and referring to the
handicapped or disabled as differently-abled. Other individuals
used to soften expressions also include using the phrase
‘negative patient outcome’ when referring to a dead patient,
referring to a prison camp as a ‘relocation center’ and using the
phrase ‘collateral damage’ when referring to accidental deaths.
Employers could also use the phrase ‘letting of someone’
instead of firing them, medical practitioners use the phrase
‘putting to sleep’ instead of euthanize to soften the
expression(Shneiderman).
Most people consider the words or phrases the euphemisms
stand for as unpleasant to hear or harsh. Euphemisms have been
used for a long time to cover up harsh truths and help speakers
be more polite. It is also important to note that euphemistic
expressions also affect how the audience understands and
perceives the message. Various political speeches have been
interpreted by taking into consideration their pragmatic

3. perspectives such as politeness principles. Speakers and
members of the audience should understand that communication
does not just refer to the way in which individuals exchange
talks. Communication involves being polite and being aware of
methods of sending messages without negatively impacting the
interpretation of the message (McGlone).
Using euphemistic expressions is important in political
speeches.In the course of various forms of communication and
human speech interactions, speakers are often faced with
negative dissonance that is evident when they are forced to
make a choice between reliving the responsibility that comes
with inferring the true meaning or refer to something directly.
The use of very sharp and straightforward words has been
known to inspire the fear of supernatural forces in the audience
such as death will trigger the automatic use of a euphemistic
expression. An example of this is what British Prime minister
said about those who felt that hispolitical campaign had far
been hopelessly lowbrow. “Today I want to speak to people who
have progressive ideals hardwired into their DNA," explained
Cameron, by which he meant those misguided souls thinking of
voting Liberal Democrat. The Guardian (2010 April 26) David
Cameron ushers us into a world of euphemism. Retrieved from
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/apr/26/david-
cameron-world-of-euphemisms
It is important to use euphemisms so as to minimize
abomination of the subject, revulsion or dread. Speakers use
euphemisms when they want to name things without necessarily
creating an exact mental picture of them. The aim of
euphemistic expressions in political speeches and life, in
general, is to strike people’s imagination (McGlone). However,
it should be noted that euphemisms do not form complete
mental images in the minds of the audience. They also do not
completely define events or subjects. Euphemisms also obscure
the formation of a complete meaning of a statement.An example
of this is PresidentObama’s speech about the withdrawal of
American troops from Iraq, has said “thatpolicy-by-slogan will

4. no longer pass as an acceptable form of debate in this country.
“Missionaccomplished,” “cut and run,” “stay the course” the
American people have determined thatall these phrases have
become meaningless in the face of a conflict that grows more
deadly andchaotic with each passing day.”From the pragmatics
of politeness in English euphemism. (2008, May 22). Retrieved
on October1st from http://eng.hi138.com/?i50545#
3. Using euphemisms in political speeches is an effective way
of deceiving people and telling the truth in a more polite
manner. Euphemisms are also used in political speeches to
powerful linguistic features that are geared towards
smoothening communication and preserving interpersonal
relationships in polite encounters. Due to this, euphemism has
been undoubtedly considered a faithful linguistic politeness
indicator in political speeches. Indirectness in speech has been
considered as an ideal behavior that is used to mitigate
conflictive situations. It could also be most applicable in
ensuring there is a mutual protection of individuals. An
Example of this is former President Bill Clinton who had been
far from unencumbered by scandal - not least when he attempted
to redefine "sexual relations". But perhaps his greatest
linguistic legacy came during his campaign for the presidency
when he admitted he had smoked marijuana but "didn't
inhale".Jon Kelly (2013 May 15) The 10 most scandalous
euphemisms. Retrieved from
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22470691
Euphemistic expressions have been deeply embedded in our
language that it is almost impossible to get through a day
without applying them in conversation and other forms of
communication. It is important that political speakers choose
expressions and words appropriately so as to avoid sugar
coating ideas or naming things directly (Ham). This is because
various contexts demand different vocabularies in addressing of
sensitive societal issues. In some political speeches, the use of
euphemisms is aimed at achieving the humor function. An
example of this is Hillary Clinton when she claimed to have

5. been pinned down by sniper fire while on a trip to Bosnia.
When video footage suggested otherwise, she went in front of
the cameras and admitted: "I did mis-speak the other day."At
the time, lexicographer Tony Thorne predicted in the Magazine
that in future the term "will probably only be used ironically or
mockingly". It had, however, previously been used by
Republican candidate John McCain and the staffs of Presidents
George W Bush and Ronald Reagan.Jon Kelly (2013 May 15)
The 10 most scandalous euphemisms.
Speakers should use jocular euphemistic expressions to help the
audience face facts more easily. Politicians use euphemisms to
save their faces and avoid deforming their reputation. Using
euphemisms expresses same meanings of words but in many
different ways as their effects are entirely different. This is
what is referred to as the art of speaking. Applying euphemistic
expressions make life more colorful. Political speakers also use
euphemisms to induce function. Speakers use various
euphemistic expressions to make their statements more
persuasive. The various cosmetic phrases have special
communicative functions that are referred to as inducing
functions (Enright). Another importance of using euphemistic
expressions is to cover-up and withholding information. An
example of this is President Obama, in his speech about his war
in Iraq he has said, “I would like to talk toyou about the end of
our combat mission, the ongoing security challenges we face,
and the needto rebuild our nation here at home.” Where he
referred to the war in Iraq as acombat mission and to the
difficulties and obstacles as challenges. By doing so, he uses a
vagueeuphemism to justify for the war in Iraq claiming that it
was a mission and he was chosen toaccomplish it.From the
pragmatics of politeness in English euphemism. (2008, May 22).
Retrieved on October1st from http://eng.hi138.com/?i50545#
6. The birth of euphemism can be traced back to the Western
political life. Some news media and politicians have made
efficient use of the vagueness that euphemism provides to cover
up various facts that are aimed at making the economy, politics

6. and military reporting are steadier. In political speeches, the
polite function of euphemisms is achieved at by avoiding
inelegant things and making people feel more pleasant.
Speakers prefer to use vagueness in euphemisms to avoid
hurting people’s feelings or making offenses. An example of
this is President Obama, in one of his speeches, tries to justify
for America’sinterference in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has said
“they knew our power grows through itsprudent use; our
security emanates from the justness of our cause… we are the
keepers of thislegacy. Guided by these principles once more, we
can meet those new threats that demand evengreater effort- even
greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will
beginreasonably leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-
earned peace in Afghanistan.” As we can see, president Obama
has used a vague euphemism to point out the danger ofAl-Qaeda
and the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.From the pragmatics of
politeness in English euphemism. (2008, May 22). Retrieved on
October1st from http://eng.hi138.com/?i50545#
Making speeches is an integral part of politicians’ roles in
persuading people to agree with various policies. To sum up this
assignment, we can see that the analysis of political speeches
has identified a strong emphasis of the importance of
euphemism. The various euphemistic expressions used in
political speeches are aimed at maximizing benefits to both
parties and minimizing any occurrence of dispraise of either
party. To achieve this, speakers should appropriately use
various maxims that are present in euphemistic expressions.
Political speakers are not intended at affecting the receivers
negatively but positively (Chen). Political speakers apply
various euphemistic expressions because of the evolving
changes in the political reforms. Politicians control most of the
country’s political activities. This explains why it is important
for the speakers to reform their traditional and conventional
language. Perfecting their public speaking language is an
effective way of arousing the public’s interest the political
affairs of their country. People should understand that the

7. appropriate use of euphemistic expressions in political
gatherings can be of great help to the politicians as they will be
in a better position to fulfill their tasks and meet various
demands of the political system (Cumhuk).
Works Cited
Al-Shunaq, Al-Hamad. "‘Arabic Death Discourse in Translation:
Euphemism and Metaphorical Conceptualization.'." Across
Languages and Cultures (2011): 19-22.
Chen, Dong. " Euphemism in Jordanian Political Discourse: a
Pragmatic and Translational Perspective." International Journal
of Communication (2009): 27-29.
Cumhuk, Eliecer. "On Pragmatic Strategies for Avoidance of
Explicitness in Language. ." Asian Social Science (2010): 45-
46.
Enright, DJ. "Fair of speech: The uses of euphemism." Family
Practice (2011): 41-43.
Ham, Linfoot. "The Linguistics of Euphemism: a Diachronic
Study of Euphemism ." Journal of Language and Linguistics
(2010): 78-79.
McGlone, Greeley. "The interplay of truth and deception: New
agendas in theory and research." American Journal of Sociology
(2011): 32-33.
Risher, Todd. " Swearing, euphemisms, and linguistic
relativity." Compensation and Benefits Review (2012): 52-53.
Shneiderman, Zhao. "Communication in China: Political
economy, power, and conflict." Journal of Global History
(2013): 91-92.
Cumhuk, A., N., Conventionality and manipulative potential of
euphemism in discourse (2011):60-61.
From the pragmatics of politeness in English euphemism. (2008,
May 22). Retrieved on October1st from
http://eng.hi138.com/?i50545#
Jon Kelly (2013 May 15) The 10 most scandalous euphemisms.
Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22470691
The Guardian (2010 April 26) David Cameron ushers us into a

8. world of euphemism. Retrieved from
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/apr/26/david-
cameron-world-of-euphemisms