We often use euphemisms as a nicer way to say something that otherwise may sound harsh or inappropriate. Let’s look at some examples of the most common euphemism examples.
Euphemism Examples
1. Under the Weather: This is one way to express illness.
2. Certified Pre-owned: Instead of saying that something is “used”, companies now call it “certified pre-owned”.
3. Friends with Benefits: Casual sex with somebody you are not seriously dating.
4. Correctional Facility: If someone commits a crime, you can say they are in a correctional facility instead of jail or prison.
5. Being let go: The corporate world uses this to say that somebody has been fired.
6. Downsizing: When several people have been let go from the job or fired, an organization may say that they are simply downsizing.
7. Between jobs: This is a nice way of saying unemployed.
8. Cooked the books: Sometimes the person who is in charge of finances does not accurately record financial transactions on purpose.
9. Kicked the bucket: If someone kicked the bucket, it simply means they died.
10. Sleeping with the fishes: If someone has died under suspicious circumstances such as murder, you may say they are now sleeping with the fishes
11. Broke wind: A nicer way of saying that someone farted is to simply say break wind.
12. Number two: A way to announce that you have to make a bowel movement.
13. Time of the month: When a woman has her period, it is common to say it is that time of the month.
14. Aunt Flo: When a woman announces that Aunt Flo is in town, this is another euphemism to let everyone know that she is on her period.
15. The Birds and the Bees: This is a rite of passage conversation about sex and procreation
16: Has a Bun in the Oven: When a woman has a bun in the oven, she is expecting a baby.
17. Gentleman’s club: A gentleman’s club is not just a place for guys to get together and smoke cigars. It’s a euphemism for a strip club.
18. Adult entertainment: Speaking of strip clubs, adult entertainment is any type of media or activity that involves sex or nudity.
19. Heavyset: To describe somebody who is larger than normal, you may refer to them as a heavy-set person.
20. Au natural: If somebody goes au natural, it basically means they are nude.
21. Roll in the hay: There are many fun ways to express sex, this is one.
22. Vertically challenged: This means someone is short
23. Wardrobe malfunction: If a piece of clothing falls off accidentally revealing your private parts, you may call it a wardrobe malfunction.
24. Get to second base: This refers to when a guy is trying to get physical with a girl on a date- it could be sex or making out.
25. Oustanding payment: You may often see this phrase on an envelope instead of past due or late in reference to bills.
26. Consciously uncoupled: This is a new phrase used to describe a divorce
27. Tossed their cookies: This is an interesting way to refer to someone throwing up
28. Comfort stop: This is a break that you will take during your travels, usually to use the restroom.
29. Creative differences: When creative professionals don’t get along well enough to continue working together, they say that they have creative differences.
30: Family Jewels: This refers to a man’s private parts/genitals
31: Issues: Saying that someone has issues is a nice way of saying they have emotional or maybe even mental problems.
32. The elevator doesn’t go all the way up This means somebody is not very smart.
33. The lights are on but no one’s home: Another way of saying someone is stupid.
34. Few fries short of a milkshake: This is a way of saying somebody might be a little off in the head or crazy
35. Person of Interest: This person is usually the main suspect of a crime.
36. Put to sleep: When an animal is hurt or injured it may be euthanized or put to sleep
37. Working Girl: This has often been used as another name for a prostitute.
38. Creative with the truth: This means someone is lying.
39. Long in the tooth: Expression that states someone is beginning to look old.
40. Doesn’t suffer fools gladly: This refers to someone who’s usually very blunt and doesn’t mince words.
41. Not the sharpest tool in the box: This is another way to say that somebody is stupid.
42. Meet your maker: This means someone dies.
43: Not up to scratch: Something is not of good quality or at the level it normally should be.
44. Getting it on Another way of expressing sex.
45. Hanky panky: Refers to making out but normally it means sex
46. Economically disadvantaged: Another way of saying that someone is poor.
47. Developing country: Used to describe a country that might be considered the third world.
48. Tinkle: This is a polite way to refer to having to urinate.
49: Going to the ladies’ room: A nice way for a woman to say that she is using the bathroom.
50: A few too many: When someone is described as having a few too many, it means they are drunk.
Lori Ballen is a real estate agent in Las Vegas. She’s a digital marketing specialist, speaker, and marketing coach and loves to share her “Ballen Method” to generate website traffic and leads online. Lori’s specialties are SEO content writing (ranking on the search engines), social media strategies, and affiliate marketing. Need a website? Contact Lori’s brothers Jeff and Paul Helvin at Ballen Brands.
