Euphemisms in English Everyday Discourse Eufemismy V anglickém jazykovém prostředí

1.2.2.4 Doing It – Euphemisms for Sex 
Looking back to the history sex has always been an object to a censorship. Since 
it evokes lots of different emotions, distinct words are required. One can speak about 
sex tenderly, lyrically, beautifully, but also, roughly, lasciviously and brutally. Since it 
was not allowed to speak about sex in a polite society people wanted to avoid the direct 
naming of it and dealt with it by silence. Epstein (1984: 10) points out that “today one 
can say in print anything one likes of a sexual kind.” Only the discretion of editors and 
publishers stands in the way.
Euphemisms for sex used over the centuries are coition, copulate and 
intercourse. The word 
intercourse
itself used to refer to a conversation between people, 
however, it took on the erotic charge of the act in the course of time. The most genteel 
names for sex are 
making love
or 
lovemaking
that is still in use. There are lots of 
ordinary words that in a specific context refer to the sex act such as knowing it or in 

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phrase - 
doing it
. The importance of the context when referring to sex with such phrases 
is discussed in the practical part. Other euphemistic terms might be – 
go to bed with, 
sleep with, on the job, get to it, get at it, fall to it 
or 
get going
.
Speaking about foreplay one can name it as 
a touch, tickle, handle, fondle, rub
or 
massage
. Allan and Burridge (1991: 86) state that “there are no true euphemisms for 
oral sex. The most neutral terms are fellatio
 
and cunnilingus” Dealing with euphemisms 
for sex we cannot forget to mention the indirect naming of orgasm. There are only a few 
terms for this phenomenon and thus – 
climax, coming, seminal discharge, come
or 
cum
.
The same delicate topic as sex is the matter of masturbation. Since it was 
understood as something devilish, insane and unhealthy, old euphemisms such as – self-
abuse, self-pollution or self-defilement reflected this general point of view. After the 
WWII people started to be more tolerant in terms of masturbation and new and simpler 
euphemisms came into existence e.g. 
playing with yourself, relieving yourself, jacking 
off, beating off.
Nowadays the gentle names for onanism are much more playful and 
innovative – 
milk the snake, stroke the chicken, varnish your pole
or 
pet the poodle
. 
Self-pleasure, finding out alone, touching oneself, self-sexuality
or 
sex without a partner
are euphemisms with rather neutral colouring.