TITLE: Euphemisms
AUTHOR: Meredith Ford, Lee Vining High, CA
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: 7-9; English
OVERVIEW: Students, especially young ones, often are unable
to use the appropriate synonym, both in speaking and in
writing. Neither are they able to recognize words as being
synonyms if the words have different connotations.
PURPOSE: This lesson will be one step in dealing with the
huge problem of appropriate word choice in student writing
and speaking. It will also help students recognize the
value of appropriate word choice and see synonyms in
language, especially in the language of advertising.
OBJECTIVES: The student will be able to:
1. Recognize the word euphemism, pronounce it, and define
it.
2. Give five examples of offensive words and a euphemism
for each.
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
1. Ask students if they know any words which are
considered harsh or "not nice" things to say about
another person. Every hand will go up, of course.
Avoiding grossly inappropriate choices, put some of
these words on the board.
2. Ask the students to pretend the person's best friend
was listening to the conversation. How could each word
be changed to a nicer synonym. Examples: stupid - slow
to catch on, fat - heavy, slob - relaxed about
appearance, loud-mouth - speaks up for himself.
3. Write EUPHEMISM on the board with YOO-FA-MIZZUM
directly under it. Students supply the definition and
you write it. They then copy this information on
notebook paper. They pronounce the word several times
as a group.
4. Point out that many body parts, bodily functions,
places, jobs, and so on which are considered "not
nice." Put a list of ten or so on the board for the
students to copy. Individually or in small groups,
students then attempt to come up with three euphemisms
for each word and write them on the same notebook
paper.
If appropriate, the words taboo, connotation, and
offensive can be worked into this lesson.
Students can use dictionaries or thesauruses for this
assignment, but neither is necessary.
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:
1. Quiz: What is euphemism?
How is the word pronounced?
Give three euphemisms for fat.
List five harsh words and a euphemism for each.
2. Have students write a short paper using euphemisms to
describe a used car, a student with poor behavior to
his mother, a funeral, or a set of clothes built for
an overweight person.
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