Surname 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 and knowing 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 need to choose between referring to something directly or relieving someone of some responsibility by sacrificing semantic transparency and letting hearers infer the true meaning. The very existence of sharp straightforward words that may inspire fear of supernatural forces such as death will automatically trigger a quest for euphemism. Examples are alternatives that do not arouse abomination, revulsion or dread. Euphemisms are used when one wants to name things without calling up a mental picture of them. The aim 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 a complete 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 45-46). 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 52). The next time you have a conversation with someone and they say 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. 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 28). 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’ and ‘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 ‘collatera ...