Euphemisms for Death

Euphemism is especially frequent, says linguist John Algeo, when we must come face to face with the less happy facts of our existence. Here we consider some of the verbal tranquilizers employed to avoid dealing head-on with death. Euphemisms for Death Despite what you may have heard, people rarely die in hospitals. Unfortunately, some patients do expire there. And according to hospital records, others experience therapeutic misadventures or negative patient-care outcomes. However, such mishaps cant be nearly as disappointing as the patient who has failed to fulfill his wellness potential. Most of us, I imagine, would rather die than let down the side in this fashion. Well, perhaps not die exactly. We might be willing to pass on, like dinner guests who take a pass on dessert. Or depart, as we should after a night out. (Theyre no longer with us, our hosts will say.) Unless, of course, weve had a bit too much to drink, and then we might just end up lost or asleep. But perish the thought. In the article Communication About Death and Dying, Albert Lee Strickland and Lynne Ann DeSpelder describe how one hospital worker tiptoed around the forbidden word. One day, as a medical team was examining a patient, an intern came to the door with information about another patients death. Knowing that the word death was taboo and finding no ready substitute, the intern stood in the doorway and announced, Guess whos not going to shop at Wal-Mart anymore. Soon, this phrase became the standard way for staff members to convey the news that a patient had died.Dying, Death, and Bereavement, ed. by Inge Corless et al. Springer, 2003 Because strong taboos surround the subject of death in our culture, countless synonyms for dying have evolved over the years. Some of those synonyms, such as the gentler terms suggested above, are regarded as euphemisms. They serve as verbal tranquilizers to help us avoid dealing head-on with harsh realities. Our reasons for using euphemisms are varied. We may be motivated by kindness--or at least politeness. For example, when speaking of the deceased at a funeral service, a minister is far more likely to say called home than bit the dust. And to most of us, resting in peace sounds more comforting than taking a dirt nap. Note that the opposite of a euphemism is a dysphemism, a harsher or more offensive way of saying something. But euphemisms arent always employed with such solicitude. A substantive negative outcome reported at a hospital may reflect a bureaucratic effort to disguise an interns blunder. Likewise, in wartime, a government spokesperson may refer abstractly to collateral damage rather than announce more candidly that civilians have been killed. Euphemisms, Death, and Mortality Euphemisms serve as reminders that communication is (among other things) an ethical activity. Strickland and DeSpelder elaborate on this point: Listening carefully to how language is used provides information about the speakers attitudes, beliefs, and emotional state. Becoming aware of the metaphors, euphemisms, and other linguistic devices that people use when talking about dying and death allows for greater appreciation of the wide range of attitudes toward death and promotes flexibility in communication. Theres no doubt that euphemisms contribute to the richness of language. Used thoughtfully, they can help us avoid hurting peoples feelings. When used cynically, euphemisms can create a haze of deceptions, a layer of lies. And this is likely to remain true long after weve bought the farm, cashed in our chips, given up the ghost, and, as now, reached the end of the line.

Annotated Bibliography on Incarceration Rate Is It Such a...

Incarceration Rate: Is It Such a Good Thing Annotated Bibliography Clear, Todd R. Imprisoning communities: How Mass Incarceration Makes Disadvantaged Neighborhoods Worse. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print. This book written by Bert Todd R. Clear, a distinguished Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, was published in 2007 at the Oxford University Press being a summary of a number of sources. Clear is an accredited source because he is the founding editor of the journal Criminology Public Policy and an author of eleven books, numerous articles, and book chapters on criminal justice. The intended audiences are for people that are in interested in the justice system but you do not need to be knowledgeable to understand the context of this article. This text is very argumentative, Clear makes the claim that mass incarceration effects poor neighborhood in negative ways. The date that this book was written is not that many years ago so will still have usefulness towards the research. The book explores the effect of mass incarce ration on low-income areas, poverty places, and poor demographics. It explains that the high incarceration has a direct correlation to social problems of individuals that happen within these communities. It shows statistics of these poverty places having an increase in percentage of being sent to prison. I plan to use this in my research by providing the audience information on how individuals and citizens of communitiesShow MoreRelatedRace And Crime Of The Criminal Justice System6937 Words   |  28 Pagespunishment or sentence or no sentence or conviction at all. Yes, white people sell drugs, buy drugs, commit crimes such as burglary, robbery, rape, and even murder as well as a lot of other things just as any other race is capable of and has done but the rampage killers that we often see in the news for things such as shooting up public places like schools and movie theatres are done by white people. The kinds of crimes white people commit that are highly publicized and are the ones that hurt manyRead MoreCommercial Liens - a Potent Weapon Essay32374 Words   |  130 PagesOvercoming Them †¢ Refusal to File Liens †¢ Abuse of Judicial Power Chapter 7 †¢ The Coloring Agreement Approach †¢ Background †¢ Instructions Chapter 8 †¢ Final Thoughts, by Alfred Adask Appendix A - Bibliography and Sources Appendix B - Index of Sample Legal Briefs [pic] Chapter 1 - Introduction Disclaimer This manual is intended purely as a communication of information in accordance with the right of free speech. It does not constitute

The Policies of My Way Essay Example For Students

The Policies of My Way Essay Unlike the United States, with its generalissimo politics-Washington, Jackson, Grant, Eisehower- the martial arts have been conspicuously absent from Canadian politics. But there in one exception: in 1968 Pierre Elliot Trudeau became the first Canadian leader to bring the gunslinger-Lone Ranger ethos to Canadian politics. Trudeau introduced to Canada the refined art of single combat; it was the politics of Doing It My Way-the politics of going my way or being left behind. Single-combat confrontation implied much mor than the loner or renegade in power, and far far less than the shaman black tricks of Mackenzie King. Trudeau was always far more the solo Philosopher King engaged in intellectual trial by combat than the Magus Merlin conjuring up solutions by puffs of smoke, sleight of hand or divine intervention. Ouijaboard politics was the occult domain of Mackenzie King, a man virtually devoid of policy, a political palm reader forever checking the whims and moods of his powerful baro nial-Ralston Howe, St. Laurent-and sometimes Byronian colleagues to see how best he could placate them, or calm them, or Heap his beatitudes upon them. Trudeau, from day one , was always more samurai than shaman. Even in his pre-leadership days, Trudeaus love of trial by combat was predominant. Mackenzie King would have never touched the unholy trinity of divorce, abortion and homosexuality: each one of these issues is a sleeping dog best left to lie; each could only infuriate conservative Canada from coast to coast. Since King dared not touch them seriatim he certainly would not have touched them together-in an omnibus bill. This, Trudeau did joyously. The myths-makers have it at this was Trudeaus first deliberated joust, the kingship being the final prize. But Trudeau had no leadership aspirations at the time; all that he had, still has, was the love of combat for the sake of combat and religious scruples be damned. Trudeau the Catholic zealot tackle divorce, abortion and homosexuality active Prime Minister in this countrys history, liberated the homosexual practitioners of black acts totally abhorrent to him; ironically, in the p rocess, Trudeau gave irrational Canada a pretext for branding him a homosexual too. P.E.T. has always hated the consensus building of Mackenzie King; even the populist following of a Diefenbaker was an anathema to Trudeau. The single-combat warrior doing it my way is always alone; he leads the people but is not of them; like the prophet he wanders either in dessert or lush green pastures and often, like the prophet, he watches his people march into the Promised Land without him. For Trudeau, being alone is to be free; victory is a consequence of solitude; companionship an act of weakness, cronyism even wise. It is ironic that Trudeau, a devout Jansenist Roman Catholic, emotionally and philosophically opposed to both divorce and abortion, should grant Canadians greatly expanded divorce rights and their first right to legale abortion. Trudeau took the unholy trinity then disturbing the bedrooms of the nation because all three were trial combat, all three required one strong man to push them through. In this minefield Canadas political loner had walked alone and apparently loved it. Canadas other solo flyer, John Diefenbaker, may or may not have been a renegade in power, but the input his holitics received from Senate cronies and Kitchen cabinets was enormous. The letters and advice that daily poured in to the chief were a populist input that Diefenbaker slavishly adhered to. Trudeau was no Diefenbaker; he was neither a populist nor a renegade. Trudeau was simply a man who brilliantly massaged and manipulated others so that his single will appeared to be the will of many, so that his will be always done. .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1 , .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1 .postImageUrl , .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1 , .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1:hover , .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1:visited , .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1:active { border:0!important; } .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1:active , .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1 .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8decb24b3578781f61861ba8d80760a1:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Economics Supply And Demand EssayThe theme of my-way politics sheds much light on the vrai Trudeau, the Trudeau that is, rather than the Trudeau people think there is. Trudeau has never been the privacy-demanding recluse, the reluctant leader that herdsmen of Canadian journalism insist he is. In secular life Trudeau is no trinitarian; he has chosen his oneness because, from the earliest politics, oneness worked for him so spectacular. Trudeaus personal handling of the constriction crisis was a my way all the way. Trudeau, the self-proclaimed socialist prophet of