Euphemisms about Politics and Stuff (in Quotes)

By "modernising" do Blairites mean "being more right wing"? Thought so. (Calum McClure ‏@theredflag87)

'unfathomable' or 'senseless' is often an excuse for not confronting critical issues. #CharlestonShooting (@PaulbernalUK)

Labor-relations consultant: strike buster (7 1/2 Cents by Richard Bissell)

Why are #saveILF protestors being described as "storming" or "invading" PMQs? Why not UK Govt "storming" or "destroying" disabled rights? (Zara ‏@zaranosaur)

I don't trust anyone who says "taxpayers". I am immediately wary of your pinched opinion. (@Andr6wMale)

Lower welfare, higher wages: my appeal in @guardian tomorrow for progressive Labour MPs to support our plans. (@George_Osborne By “progressive” he means “regressive”.)

Is it now considered 'moderate' to hammer the working poor? Good grief😔 #Labour need to oppose this cruel bill. (Jason Cowley)
 
He understands why I need to ask him questions from a "mainstream" (read: feminist) sensibility. (vox.com To Sarah Palin, the “lamestream” media are left-wing.)

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon says Corbyn is a “risk to security”. “What he really means: Corbyn won’t kowtow to the arms trade.” (Jill Gibbon)

British values – according to Nicky Morgan, these are: “democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, respect for people of other faiths and other beliefs”.

"Unrealistic, back to 80s, need progressive reform (ie capitulation to austerity narrative)" etc etc etc. (Charles Holland ‏@ordinarycharles on the tsunami of anti-Corbyn rhetoric.)

Spectacular ST leader today saying that Labour is being 'infiltrated' by the hard left. I think they mean 'new members'. (Charles Holland)


AND THAT TURNED OUT TO MEAN...When people say 'religious freedom' they mean 'I want to be able to discriminate against gay people without being called a bigot.' (@MrOzAtheist And when they say "Why can't we talk about immigration?" they mean "Why can't I disapprove of immigration?".)

Urging the government to “increase funding for what he called ‘integrated healthcare’. By that Prince Charles turned out to mean, largely, homeopathy." (New Scientist June 2015)

Such a change was “strongly counterattitudinal for most college students”. That’s psychology code for "they hated the idea”. (For Argument's Sake: Evidence that Reason Can Change Minds, Tom Stafford)

Partners in Crime: “It’s all about her timeless stories and about maintaining the Christie DNA.” This translates as: If you look through a microscope, you may see a minute speck of the original story. Her books are not timeless, they are firmly rooted in their own time. Perhaps they meant “durable”.

"That's certainly an option." Translation: Let's not do that. (VeryBritishProblems ‏@SoVeryBritish)

"Anyway, I'm sure it'll be fine." Translation: I'm confident the situation will deteriorate swiftly. (VeryBritishProblems)

“The student recognizes the divine origin of the cosmos with amazement, makes efforts to understand it, and is aware that it does not originate from chaos and chance.” (Guidelines for a Spanish school course on religion.)

No human being can be truly objective. In this context, "objectivity" means "status quo" which means "continued oppression". (@FeministAspie)

More here, and links to the rest.