Language Taboos: Never Say "Die"

Despite what you may have heard, people rarely die in hospitals.

Unfortunately, some folks do "expire" there. And, according to hospital records, others experience "a negative patient-care outcome" or "a therapeutic misadventure." However, such mishaps can't 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 a dinner guest who takes a pass on dessert. Or "go home," as we should after a night out. Unless, of course, we've had a bit too much to drink, and then we might just end up "lost." But perish the thought.

Because strong taboos so often 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 classified as euphemisms. They serve as a kind of verbal magic to help us avoid dealing head on with harsh realities.

Our reasons for using euphemisms can vary dramatically. 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," or "resting in peace" than "taking a dirt nap." (The opposite of a euphemism, by the way, is a dysphemism--a harsher or more offensive way of saying something.)

But euphemisms aren't always employed with such sensitivity. A "substantive negative outcome" reported at a hospital may reflect a bureaucratic effort to disguise an intern's blunder. Likewise, in times of war a government spokesperson may refer to "collateral damage" rather than announce more harshly (and some would say truthfully) that civilians have been killed.

Euphemisms serve as reminders that writing, among other things, is an ethical activity. Euphemisms contribute to the richness of language and, used thoughtfully, can help us avoid hurting people's feelings. But used cynically, euphemisms can create a haze of deceptions, a layer of lies. And this is likely to remain true long after we've cashed in our chips, given up the ghost, and, as now, reached the end of the line.

More About Language Taboos:

• Taboo Language
• Soft Language
• Tapinosis
• Orthophemism