Euphemania: Our Love Affair with Euphemisms
"If 'Euphemisms are unpleasant truths wearing diplomatic cologne,' as Quentin Crisp once said, then Ralph Keyes has given word and language lovers a deeply fragrant-and thoroughly enjoyable-book."—Dr. Mardy Grothe, author ofOxymoronicaand other quotation anthologies"Whether you're looking for information or just browsing,Euphemaniais a classic. It is beautifully written, uniformly delightful, and a pleasure to read. Keyes has spread a broad net and offers the tastiest morsels to his readers. I love this book!"—Rosalie Maggio, author ofHow to Say ItandThe Art of Talking to Anyone"Fascinating!  If you think you already know how we human beings shape language to create the kind of relationships we want, wait until you read Euphemania. Ralph Keyes opens the reader to a new world of thoughtfulness, embarrassment, manipulation, and even criminality through euphemisms. While much of the book is just plain funny, one cannot help but develop a new respect for the complexity of our language and for our amazing inventiveness as we cope with every imaginable situation by avoiding the truth. An engrossing, amusing and highly informative read."—Richard Farson, author ofManagement of the Absurd"Keyes' treatment of our everyday attempts to ameliorate through language the unpleasantries of life is brilliant-and a great read."—Tom Dalzell, author ofThe Slang of SinandFlappers 2 Rappers"The title of this smart new book,Euphemania, is no euphemism.  Author Ralph Keyes is right: Weare crazyabout euphemisms.  For good reasons and bad, euphemisms help us speak the unspeakable, describe what cannot, in decent society (if only we lived in one!), be described.  Those are not rings of fat around my waist; that's my spare tire. Or, should you want to know me better, just grab my love handles. Hang on tight and we'll ride through the wise and witty work of a writer who handles his love for the language on every page."—Roy Peter Clark, author ofWriting ToolsandThe Glamour of Grammar