History Main / TWordEuphemism

* Before it was a [[Series/TheLWord television series]] in which it referred to lesbianism, "the L word" was a T-word euphemism for "liberalism." In American politics from the 1980s onwards, conservatives have enthusiastically held onto the word "conservative", but left and center-left politicians have tended to avoid the word "liberal." This doesn't necessarily apply to people not running for office. For the bitterest of ironies, [[YouKeepUsingThatWord liberal doesn't even mean leftist to begin with.]]

* The Wiki/TVTropes page for NWordPrivileges

* On the ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'' episode "Greg and Larry", Jake tells a suspect about to go through PerpSweating that "You're about to get S'ed in the B!" Yes, it's the rare TWordEuphemism[=/=]GoshDangItToHeck combo.

* Similarly, Music/TheRollingStones' "Star Star" is pronounced "Starfucker".

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'': In an episode “Turtle Terminator”, Krang sends a robot that inflicts a BeamSpam attack on anything even remotely resembling a turtle. Including toys, balloons and even somebody uttering the word “turtle”. The turtles and [[IntrepidReporter April]] manage to draw this robot over to an abandoned amusement park where it can’t hurt any innocent bystanders. Unfortunately, April’s ditzy friend Irma is there too. April locates Irma and warns her to never use the “T-word” in here. [[LateToThePunchline Irma realizes what the T-word is, only when the robots starts raining blaster fire towards her]].

'''Stewie:''' Oh-oh-oh-okay! I thought-(stammers) You know, it's not important. Oh no! Cancer!

--->'''Writer''': Am I waffling?\\
'''Milo Bloom''': You're waffling.

-->'''Ghost Minister:''' Do you, Betelgeuse...
-->'''Beetlejuice:''' Uh-uh! Nobody says the B-word.

-->'''Mr. Garrison: '''Eric, did you just say the F-word?!
-->'''Cartman:''' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint "Jew"?]]

-->'''Roxie:''' Your BF's about to get F'd in the B!

-->'''Other Scott:''' Is this an Envy related dream?\\

---> '''Sacharissa:''' "'Ing'. I feel so much better for saying that, you know? 'Ing'. 'Inginginginging'. I wonder what it means?"

---->'''Tulip''': It's not a --ing harpsichord, it's a --ing virginal! One --ing string to a note instead of two! So called because it was an instrument for --ing young ladies!
---->'''Shadowy figure''': My word, was it? I thought it was just a sort of early piano!

--> '''Dirk:''' "Let's think the unthinkable, let's do the undoable, let's prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all."
* The Richard Matheson short story ''[=F---=]'', set in a future where [[spoiler: sustenance is no longer taken]] orally and as a result, the word [[spoiler: food]] is considered obscene. The clever titling backfired on Matheson when the magazine that featured the story made him use a different title altogether because the unnecessarily bleeped one looked too obscene.

-->'''Michael (to GOB):''' I want you to get rid of ''The Seaward.''\\

-->'''Lowell''': I actually called her the U word.\\
'''Brian''': You called her unfaithful?\\
'''Lowell''': No, I called her unsatiable!\\
'''Brian''': That's "insatiable". You called her the I word.\\
'''Lowell''': No, the I word is "indiscreet".

-->'''Eric''': Mom said the "ass" word.

-->'''Maintenance guy''': I'm too old for this 'shhhhhh' sound the gas is making.

-->'''Alexa''': "She said the F word, the B word, and the K word."\\
'''Sue (to Pete)''': "What's the K word?"\\
'''Pete''': "I think it's a misspelling."

--> ''[[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch Ain't that a B with an itch/]]Ain't that a mother trucker/You can go to H-E-double hockey sticks/And F yourself...''

--> '''Mrs Pearce''' : But there is a certain word I must ask you not to use. The girl has just used it herself because the bath was too hot. It begins with the same letter as bath. She knows no better: she learnt it at her mother's knee. But she must not hear it from your lips.

--> '''Sam''': Spider-webs and spooky houses go together like well-dressed dogs and naked bunnies.
--> '''Max''': How many times have I told you not to use the "b-word", Sam?

--> '''[[FunnyForeigner Paco]]''': Step off me, shit-head!
--> '''[[FatBastard Rarity]]''': Paco! Did you just say the ''SH-word?!''

-->'''Hank''': "Ah, double dammit!"
-->'''Dean''': "Hank! You said the double-D word!"

---> '''Bart''': Give me a "B"?\\
'''Nelson''': I won't give you a "B", but I'll tear ya a new "A"!

-->'''Brian''': (referring to a mole on Stewie) I think it could be... the c-word.
-->'''Stewie''': What does ''[[CountryMatters that]]'' have to do with anything?
-->'''Brian''': No, I mean cancer.
-->'''Stewie''': Oh, oh! Cancer, oh no!

* In the world of weather forecasting, "snow" is sometimes the "S-word." This tends to be especially true right around the time of the first snow of the season when people may not be quite ready yet and therefore don't want to hear it..

This trope is a common kind of euphemism, where a word that shouldn't or can't be used will be referred to as "the <letter>-word" instead. Or, alternately, the offending word will have key letters masked by dashes, asterisks, or other punctuation (such as "f--k" or "[[SymbolSwearing $#!+]]").

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

-->'''Michael (to GOB):''' I want you to get rid of ''The Seaward.''
-->'''Lucille:''' I'll leave when I'm good and ready!

-->'''Lowell''': I actually called her the U word.
-->'''Brian''': You called her unfaithful?
-->'''Lowell''': No, I called her unsatiable!
-->'''Brian''': That's "insatiable". You called her the I word.
-->'''Lowell''': No, the I word is "indiscreet".

-->'''Alexa''': "She said the F word, the B word, and the K word."
-->'''Sue (to Pete)''': "What's the K word?"
-->'''Pete''': "I think it's a misspelling."

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' has a joke about "the D-word" in a MENSA convention. It's "duh".
* In one arc in ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'', the Bloom Picayune decides to do a frank, honest article about AIDS. The first draft, submitted by the obviously-nervous editor, is ''full'' of T-words.
-->'''Writer''': Am I waffling?
-->'''Milo Bloom''': You're waffling.
** In another, the characters have been informed that they must refrain from using the "14-letter 'S' word." It turns out to be "Snugglebunnies."
* ''9 Chickweed Lane'': In a recent strip, one character claims to have "beat the s--- out of Colonel Horrocks." The rest of the word starting with S is obscured because a chair blocks that part of the speech bubble.
* ''ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}}''
** Played with when Lacey Davenport's political opponent challenged her to mutual drug tests -- "Any time! Any place! I will fill any bottle!" Upon hearing this, Lacey's husband commented dryly, "It would appear the contest has turned into a p---ing match," whereupon Davenport replied, "A what? You know I can't understand you when you use hyphens, dear."
** In a story arc about Frank Sinatra's skills with profanity, the text is censored thusly: "Get me your (obscene gerund) boss, you little (anatomically explicit epithet)!" Which is ''horribly'' offensive because, as everyone knows, there's a ''huge'' difference between a [[GrammarNazi gerund and a present participle]], whether they look alike or not!
* A ''ComicStrip/OneBigHappy'' strip has Ruthie tattle on Joe about name-calling, except that the letters used as euphemisms aren't the usual suspects so the parents aren't sure what the uncensored words are supposed to be. Joe still gets sent to his room.
* Calvin of ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' once used a variant with flash cards marked with a letter followed by several dashes in show and tell. When he showed the card, he would have the class yell the offending word in full. Subverted in that Ms. Wormwood doesn't allow it and promptly sends him back to his desk. Muses Calvin: "She's such a hypocrite about building vocabulary."
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Puppet Shows]]

Inspiration for ''Series/TheLWord'' ([[HideYourLesbians in spirit, anyway]]). Also see NotUsingTheZWord and NWordPrivileges, as well as the frequently related CountryMatters. SoundEffectBleep is the audio equivalent. Sometimes characters will resort to CensorshipBySpelling instead. Not to be confused with the actual T-words considered derogatory terms for {{Transgender}} persons.

Inspiration for ''Series/TheLWord'' ([[HideYourLesbians in spirit, anyway]]). Also see NotUsingTheZWord and NWordPrivileges, as well as the frequently related CountryMatters. SoundEffectBleep is the audio equivalent. Not to be confused with the actual T-words considered derogatory terms for {{Transgender}} persons.

* ''WesternAnimation/WeBareBears'': In "Viral Video", Panda gets into an argument with Grizzly and calls him a "[[UnusualEuphemism dingle]]". Grizzly responds "Hey, there's no need for the D-word!"

-->'''Mr. Garrison:'''Eric, did you just say the F-word?!

** Later in the movie when the boys mothers come to school, Kyle's mom asks if Kyle said "the S-word" and then when told no, she asks, with greater horror, "The''F-word?!''

-->'''Mr. Garrison:''' Cartman, did you just say the F-word?!

** Later in the movie when the boys mothers come to school, Kyle's mom asks if Kyle said "the S-word" and then when told no, she asks, with greater horror, "was it the ''Q-word?!'' What "the Q-Word" actually is is never made clear.

** All these T-words are probably why Scott is confused about what, exactly, the L-word is.

* The trope is comically subverted in UK cop film ''Film/HotFuzz''. The police station's swear box has a list of prohibited swear words, each of which is {{bowdleri|se}}zed -- except [[CountryMatters the most offensive one]].

'''Elizabeth James:''' [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar Oh, that f-word]]...

* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'': After accidentally damaging their bedroom wall in "The Power", Mordecai grouses "Now, how in the ''H'' are we gonna fix this ''S''?" ''H'' is a recurring one.

* Before it was a [[Series/TheLWord television series]] in which it referred to lesbianism, "the L word" was a T-word euphemism for "liberalism." In American politics from the 1980s onwards, conservatives have enthusiastically held onto the word "conservative", but left and center-left politicians have tended to avoid the word "liberal." This doesn't necessarily apply to people not running for office.

* ''WesternAnimation/WeBareBears'': In "Viral Video", Panda gets into an argument with Grizzly and calls him a "[[GoshDangItToHeck dingle]]". Grizzly responds "Hey, there's no need for the D-word!"

* A right-wing American senator in ''Film/InTheLoop'' repeatedly uses minced oaths rather than swear words. Whem Malcolm Tucker dresses him down, Tucker says, "You are a real boring fuck. Sorry, sorry, I know that you disapprove of the swearing, so I'll sort that out: You are a boring f-star-star-''cunt''."

->'''Brian:''' I think it could be... ''the c-word.''\\
'''Stewie:''' What does ''that'' have to do with anything?\\
'''Brian:''' No, I mean cancer.\\
'''Stewie:''' Oh, oh! Cancer, oh no!