Re: Idioms v cliches v euphemisms
Posted by Robert on
June 04, 2003 In Reply to: Idioms v cliches v euphemisms
posted by Geoff Bird on June 04, 2003
: What, if any, is the difference between an idiom, a cliche and
a euphemism?
: What are good examples of each?
I always understood an idiom to be a phrase composed of words that
do not literally indicate its meaning, like "put up with" meaning
"tolerate". A cliche is phrase so over-used that it almost has no
meaning, like "think outside the box". A euphemism is a way of substituting
words to soften or otherwise alter the reality or perception of
a certain condition. Examples would be saying that someone "expired"
or "passed away" instead of having "died" or saying you're "between
jobs" instead of just "unemployed".
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