orthophemism

Definition:

Straight talk; direct or neutral expressions that are not sweet-sounding, evasive, or overly polite (euphemistic), nor harsh, blunt, or offensive (dysphemistic).

Etymology:

Coined by Keith Allan and Kate Burridge (in Forbidden Words, 2006) from the Greek, "proper, straight, normal" plus "speaking"

Examples and Observations

• "What is the difference between orthophemisms and euphemisms? . . . Both arise from conscious or unconscious self-censoring; they are used to avoid the speaker being embarrassed and/or ill thought of and, at the same time, to avoid embarrassing and/or offending the hearer or some third party. This coincides with the speaker being polite. Now to the difference between orthophemism and euphemism:
  
  • An orthophemism is typically more formal and more direct (or literal) than the corresponding euphemism.
  • A euphemism is typically more colloquial and figurative (or indirect) than the corresponding orthophemism.
  Like euphemisms, dysphemisms are typically more colloquial and figurative than orthophemisms (but, for instance, to truthfully call someone fat is direct)."
  (Keith Allan and Kate Burridge, Forbidden Words: Taboo and the Censoring of Language, Cambridge University Press, 2006)



• "As alternatives to offensive expressions, orthophemisms, like euphemisms, will typically be preferred as desirable or appropriate terms. Examples of all three kinds of language expressions would be pass away (typically a euphemism), snuff it (typically a dysphemism), and die (typically an orthophemism). However, these descriptions are problematic, since what determines them is a set of social attitudes or convention that may vary considerably between dialect groups and even between individual members of the same community."
  (Keith Allan and Kate Burridge, Forbidden Words, Cambridge University Press, 2006)