In Other Words: The Meanings and Memoirs of Euphemisms - Tapa dura

Have you ever heard a politician be a little economical with the truth? Or had to relay the sad news that old Uncle Geoffrey, ever the keen sportsman, has in fact now kicked the bucket? Funnily enough, these strange phrases are completely comprehensible to us - such is the power of euphemisms and the extent to which they are now subsumed into our everyday language. But where did they come from originally, and for just how long have we been colouring and shrouding our speech with them? In Other Words explains just that, wittily describing the history, origin and clever common usage of our favourite euphemistic phrases.

Dominique Enright is a freelance writer and editor. Her other works include Winston Churchill - The Greatest Briton (2003), The Wicked Wit of Women (2000, 2003) The Wicked Wit of Jane Austen and The Wicked Wit of William Shakespeare (both 2003), as well as collections of the poetry of Wordsworth, Burns, Keats and Kipling (2002).