EUPHEMISMS

I love euphemisms. They tell so much about a person or persons who use them.



Today we use the term STI meaning sexually transmitted infection. It is correct in its broadest terms. Starting in about 1990, we called such afflictions STDs or sexually transmitted diseases even though they weren't all diseases. Prior to that and beginning in about 1960, we called these problems VD or venereal diseases. Venereal is a word that mean 'having to do with Venus, the goddess of love'. This meant that they were diseases passed while making love. Prior to 1960, the common name for these problems was 'social diseases'. In the 1950's Tony nominated play West Side Story, gang members made fun of authorities and each other because they had a 'social disease'. I suppose that before they called them social diseases, they didn't mention them at all.