Forbidden Words: Taboo and the Censoring of Language

38 Forbidden Words
Figure 2.2. Visual euphemism.
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length, and the description, ‘speed-adjustable vibrations [that] penetrate
deeply to melt away the tensions and frustrations of the day – [bring] blissful
relaxation and total contentment’, leave no doubt that it is a vibrator, intended
for sexual stimulation. Similar euphemistic advertisements for vibrators have
been around since 1906. 9
The MCPC does not operate when euphemisms are used in deference to or
to avoid conflict with spirits, gods and other metaphysical entities. Because it
was blasphemous to name the god of the Jews and his cohorts, the name was
written without vowels, YHVH, but read out either as Ha Shem ‘The Name’
(sometimes written as simply the initial letter E ‘Heh’) or as Adonai meaning
‘Lord’ – a euphemism that has carried over into Christianity, in both addressing
and naming God and Jesus Christ. There is a euphemism for Adonai used
outside of formal religious service by devout Jews, Adoshem from Ha Shem;
very devout Jews will write G–d for God (as Christians used to do), just as
they would write Yah, 10 an acronym for the first two letters, Yod and Heh, of