Euphemism

• You're Fired!
  
  1. American: Downsized
     
  2. British: Declared redundant
     
  3. Canadian: Made surplus
     

• Garbage Collector = Sanitation Engineer

• Passed on = died

If you use a lot of euphemisms, people will begin to think you're being evasive.

_{Node your notes: from my speech class.}

(From Greek: eu-, "good, well, easily" + pheme, "speaking")

A word or phrase used in place of a harsher or more direct expression (e.g. darned in place of damned); also, the use of such expressions.

Eu"phe*mism (?), n. [Gr. fr. to use word of a good omen; well + to speak: cf. F. euph'emisme. See Fame.] Rhet.

A figure in which a harsh or indelicate word or expression is softened; a way of describing an offensive thing by an inoffensive expression; a mild name for something disagreeable.

© Webster 1913.