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51 Euphemisms for 'You're Fired'
Updated April 08, 2017 thoughtco.com
A euphemism is a seemingly nice or polite way of
expressing a harsh or unpleasant truth. In the Oxford Dictionary of
Euphemisms (2007), R.W. Holder observes that euphemism is often "the language of evasion, hypocrisy, prudery, and
deceit." To test that observation, consider these 51 alternative ways of
saying "You're fired."
Dan Foreman: Guys,
I feel very terrible about what I'm about to say. But I'm afraid you're both
being let go.
Lou: Let go? What does that mean? Dan Foreman: It means you're being fired, Louie. (Dennis Quaid and Kevin Chapman in the movie In Good Company, 2004)
Throughout much of the world,
unemployment remains a problem. Yet of all those people who have lost their
jobs, few were ever told, "You're fired."
Apparently, those day-long seminars
in workplace sensitivity have paid off: "firing" is now as outdated
as a defined-benefit pension plan. In its place is a brightly colored file
folder filled with smiley-faced euphemisms.
True, a few of the terms sound
rather dour and legalistic ("involuntary separation," for example,
and "workforce imbalance correction"). A few others are simply
perplexing ("decruit," "lateralize," "waive").
But many sound as cheery as a year-end bonus: "constructive
discharge," "career alternative enhancement," and—no
kidding—"free up for the future."
"You're not losing a job,"
these expressions seem to be saying. "You're regaining a life."
Euphemisms
for Job Termination
Here, according to management guides
and personnel documents found at a host of online human resources sites, are 51
bona fide euphemisms for job termination.
Forget those condescending reminders
that you're now free to "pursue other interests" and "spend more
time with the family." As anyone who has ever lost a job is keenly aware,
euphemisms such as these rarely achieve their goal of softening the blow. The
terms that we use for getting fired tend to be dysphemisms: sacked, dumped, bounced out, canned,
axed, eighty-sixed, and given the old heave-ho.
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