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George Carlin - Euphemisms

poyani · comedy · Watch on YouTube

Stand-up & sketch comedyLanguage & linguistics

What it is

A George Carlin stand-up bit on euphemisms, tracing how language gets softened, such as shell shock becoming PTSD, until it loses its emotional force.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN commenters reach for it whenever a thread involves corporate or political euphemism, using it mostly as a reference.

  • 4 people recommended it
  • 4 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2014, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “George Carlin made this point brilliantly”

    Carlin on softened language reducing action.

    gorwell, 2021-08 · Strong recommendation · in “Homelessness is about housing”

  2. “Here's an amusing and insightful video of Carlin dissecting the language behind Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”

    Carlin dissects the language behind PTSD.

    DevX101, 2014-12 · Recommendation · in “US Senate Report on CIA Detention and Interrogation Program”

  3. “George Carlin had a great bit[1] about our continuous need to soften our language with euphemisms.”

    Carlin's bit on softening language with euphemisms.

    ryandrake, 2022-05 · Recommendation · in “How to professionally say”

  4. “George Carlin has a great bit on euphemism”

    Carlin on euphemisms softening painful things into meaninglessness, e.g. shellshock to PTSD

    bullfightonmars, 2024-08 · Recommendation · in “Euphemisms are best changed frequently (2016)”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: george carlin, stand-up, euphemisms, ptsd, language

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