Ralph Keyes is the author of 15 books, including The Courage to Write and I Love It When You Talk Retro. He has written for Esquire, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, GQ, Newsweek, and Harper's. Keyes lives in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where he writes, lectures, and is a Trustee of the Antioch Writers' Workshop.
"Fascinating! If you think you already know how we human beings
shape language to create the kind of relationships we want, wait
until you read Euphemania. Ralph Keyes opens the reader to a new
world of thoughtfulness, embarrassment, manipulation, and even
criminality through euphemisms. While much of the book is just
plain funny, one cannot help but develop a new respect for the
complexity of our language and for our amazing inventiveness as we
cope with every imaginable situation by avoiding the truth. An
engrossing, amusing and highly informative read."--Richard Farson,
author of Management of the Absurd
"If 'Euphemisms are unpleasant truths wearing diplomatic cologne, '
as Quentin Crisp once said, then Ralph Keyes has given word and
language lovers a deeply fragrant-and thoroughly
enjoyable-book."--Dr. Mardy Grothe, author of Oxymoronica and other
quotation anthologies
"Keyes' treatment of our everyday attempts to ameliorate through
language the unpleasantries of life is brilliant-and a great
read."--Tom Dalzell, author of The Slang of Sin and Flappers 2
Rappers
"The title of this smart new book, Euphemania, is no euphemism.
Author Ralph Keyes is right: We are crazy about euphemisms. For
good reasons and bad, euphemisms help us speak the unspeakable,
describe what cannot, in decent society (if only we lived in one!),
be described. Those are not rings of fat around my waist; that's my
spare tire. Or, should you want to know me better, just grab my
love handles. Hang on tight and we'll ride through the wise and
witty work of a writer who handles his love for the language on
every page."--Roy Peter Clark, author of Writing Tools and The
Glamour of Grammar
"Whether you're looking for information or just browsing,
Euphemania is a classic. It is beautifully written, uniformly
delightful, and a pleasure to read. Keyes has spread a broad net
and offers the tastiest morsels to his readers. I love this
book!"--Rosalie Maggio, author of How to Say It and The Art of
Talking to Anyone
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