|
Reader question: Please explain “between jobs” and the word euphemism in the following: Between jobs is a well-known euphemism for unemployment. My comments: If one is between jobs, one’s currently unemployed, out of work, or on public assistance, or what you please. Look at it this way. There’s a “job” one was doing for some time and he or she lost it. There’s a new “job” they’re going to take again, hopefully, some time into the future. Of these two jobs, he or she currently has none – because their current position is in between, or in the middle. Sound awkward? You bet. That’s the characteristic of euphemisms, or indirect ways of putting things in order that they sound better, so as not to be rude, unpleasant or downright shocking. Mostly speakers are trying to avoid offense. For instance, in obituaries, the recently deceased (dead) is often described as “a confirmed bachelor”, that’s an established euphemism in the West for being a homosexual. Or “he lived life to the full” often means that the man was a drunkard. Sometimes people use euphemisms just to be humorous. For instance, when addressing a friend who’s recently lost his job, you might say: “I hear you’re your own boss now.” The friend, put at ease, may reply: “Yes, I’m enjoying life again.” Euphemism is originally from the Greek word euphēmismos, “from euphēmos auspicious, sounding good, from eu- + phēmē speech, from phanai to speak” (Merriam-Webster Online). | 
