EUPHEMISM
a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring
to something unpleasant or embarrassing.
Example – “Passed away” or “kick the bucket” is a euphemism that describes the death of a person.
A) Match the following with their correct meanings.
-
armed intervention
to be economical with the truth
-
ethnic cleansing
to put something/someone to sleep
to pass away
between jobs
-
big boned
fall off a back of a lorry
to tell lies
using violence to force people from one
ethnic group to leave an area
to be out of work
to be quite fat
to declare war on someone
something which is quite cheap, probably
because it as stolen
to kill someone, usually an animal
to die
B) Now see if you can put one of the above expressions into the correct gap in these sentences. Don't
forget you may have to change the tense.
1 - All politicians are accused of ___________
2 - How much did you pay for your flat screen telly? B: It was really cheap. I think it __________
3 - Is your grandfather any better? B: Oh didn't you know? He ____________
last Monday.
4 - The USA is threatening ________________ in Iran unless they agree to cease developing
nuclear power.
5 - John is _____________ at the moment so I don't think he can afford to come on holiday with us.
6 - I'm afraid that Dennis will have to be ____________. His kidneys aren't working and he seems
to be in pain all of the time.
7 - One of the many horrors of the recent Bosnian conflict was the policy of __________which
displaced a great many people.