Euphemism

In literature, a euphemism was a palatable term for an otherwise horrendous or embarrassing event, action, or circumstance.

Euphemisms[]

"Between jobs"

In 2370, when Jean-Luc Picard asked his alleged son, Jason Vigo, what he does, Vigo simply stated that "I'm between jobs right now," (meaning that he was not currently employed). Picard simply replied, "I see." (TNG: "Bloodlines")

"Blazes"

Meaning "hell", frequently used by McCoy and Scott.

• "(Go) to blazes" (TOS: "The Doomsday Machine"; TNG: "Time's Arrow")
• "(Like) blue blazes" (TAS: "The Ambergris Element", "The Practical Joker")
• "What in blazes is (this/that)" (TOS: "Mirror, Mirror", "Patterns of Force", "The Paradise Syndrome"; TNG: "Relics")
• "What the blazes" (TOS: "Day of the Dove"; TAS: "The Practical Joker")
• "Where the blazes" (TOS: "Wink of an Eye")
• "Who the blazes" (TOS: "The Ultimate Computer")

"Do away with"

• TOS: "What Are Little Girls Made Of?"; TNG: "Sub Rosa"; DS9: "In the Hands of the Prophets"

"Fuel"

In 2376, Rudolph Ransom criticized Maxwell Burke's euphemistic usage of the term "fuel" to describe the nucleogenic lifeforms they would have to murder to keep the USS Equinox going. (VOY: "Equinox, Part II")

"Gone"

In 2370, while in the mirror universe, Kira Nerys questioned mirror Elim Garak's usage of the word "gone" to describe what would happen to Intendant Kira Nerys so that she could take her place, Garak repeated his statement and asked her not to make him use some foolish euphemism. (DS9: "Crossover")

"Gone to his reward"

Harry Mudd used this phase to describe what happened to Leo Walsh. (TOS: "Mudd's Women")

"Property"

In 2365, Jean-Luc Picard labeled Data's apparent status as "property" rather than an individual to be "a comfortable, easy euphemism" for slavery. (TNG: "The Measure Of A Man")

"Pulling the plug"

• (ENT: "Broken Bow"; TOS: "The Return of the Archons", "The Ultimate Computer"; DS9: "Melora"; VOY: "Phage", "Scorpion, Part II", "Drone", "Infinite Regress", "Spirit Folk")

'"Tender mercies"

Miles O'Brien's sarcastic description of the way an Klingon-Cardassian Alliance Overseer would treat workers in an ore processing center, (DS9: "Shattered Mirror") as well as The Doctor's description of B'Elanna Torres's proposed treatment of an injured Tom Paris, should he get up from his bed before he was well (namely, that she would break his legs to stop him). (VOY: "Alice")

"The birds and the bees"

When Spock spoke of a condition he was current undergoing, pon farr in 2267, he only alluded to as Vulcan biology. Captain James T. Kirk interpreted it as "You mean the biology of Vulcans? Biology as in reproduction? Well, there's no need to be embarrassed about it, Mister Spock. It happens to "the birds and the bees."" Spock pointed out that "The birds and the bees are not Vulcans, captain." (TOS: "Amok Time")

"The Genesis planet"

In 2286, the Klingon Ambassador described the term for the end result of the Genesis Device's detonation, "the Genesis planet", as a euphemism for what he believed to be "a secret base from which to launch the annihilation of the Klingon people!" (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)

"Working girl"

A polite way to say "prostitute". (TNG: "The Big Goodbye")

External link[]

• Euphemism at Wikipedia