Forbidden Words: Taboo and the Censoring of Language

170 Forbidden Words
(euphemism); and note the implication of cleanliness and health implicit in
the words hygiene and sanitary. In the days of sanitary towels there was the
euphemistic abbreviation STs; but towels have given way to sanitary pad/
napkin – orthophemisms from which the omission of ‘sanitary’ creates a
euphemism. These are also euphemistically referred to as mouse-beds. And
there is another figure in ‘I’m out of white bread, and George is calling
tonight.’ 80 Then there are panty liners (euphemistic and not intended for
the full flood of menstruation, but rather for spotting and other leaks –
‘Discreet protection for everyday freshness, minor discharge, light flow days
and tampon back-up’). The use of napkin for ‘sanitary napkin’ is leading to
the demise of the term used in the sense ‘table napkin’, which is replaced by
serviette in Australia, Britain and New Zealand; this is not the case in
America, where the trade name kotex has generalized to function as a
euphemism. In Britain and Australia, the trade name tampax often generalizes
to ‘tampon’; in Australia, meds does the same. In television adverts for
such products, discrete protection from wetness and from embarrassment
seem to be the focus; though, strangely (and notoriously), absorbency is
always demonstrated using blue fluid – a visual euphemism. There are many
dysphemisms or dysphemistic euphemisms: on the rag/jamrag; wearing the
rag; riding the cotton bicycle; the hammock is swinging, etc. Reference to
the rag shows that language lags a generation or two behind contemporary
means for sanitary protection. There is also a tasteless joke about an
imaginary western, ‘Blood on the Saddle’, starring the Kotex Kid. Other
metaphors include covering the waterfront; wearing the manhole cover;
closed for repairs; plugged up; too wet to plough, etc. which mostly indicate
sexual unavailability. A 1962 advert for ‘Tampax internal sanitary
protection’ vaunts it as ‘neat, discreet, easy to use and unfelt in place. It
prevents odour, ends disposal problems, does away with belts, pins, pads. It
lets you bathe, shower, do anything you’d normally do. Deciding to use
Tampax is a sign you’re not going to compromise with discomfort any
longer’. 81 This advert implies much about the adversities of managing
menstruation, at a time when tampons (orthophemism) were beginning to
be widely used.
Menstrual blood and other pollutants as curative agents
menstrues and materials,
Of piss, and eggshells, women’s terms, man’s blood,
Hair o’ the head, burnt clouts, chalk, merds, and clay,
Powder of bones, scalings of iron, glass,
And worlds of other strange ingredients.
(Jonson 1981, The Alchemist, Act II, scene i)