Every since the dawn of language, humans have come up with quaint euphemisms for difficult subjects of conversation.

I flatly refuse to provide any data or sources. Feel free to ignore or accept my word, and/or examine a few of your own. (Make it fun!)

One of my favorite euphemisms is from The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood: “I dropped my basket.”

The speaker was referring to a time she spent recovering from mental and emotional anguish and addiction. It sounds, to me, like a reference to “not putting all of one’s eggs in a basket.” Or, maybe it’s a reference to the proverbial handbasket in which one can catch a lift downward to warmer climes (no, I’m not referring to Florida or even Texas). Either way, warning noted.

We use euphemisms at Tabby’s Place, too. The “Rainbow Bridge” is the most beautiful and gentle of these. We speak of crossing and guiding, of those that wait on the other side. In fact, we know even less about our euphemistic rainbow bridge than Einstein and Rosen posited about theirs.. How we speak of it, though, reflects the magic of human feeling, as well as what we say.

Happily, we also use language to play when topics aren’t sensitive at all. Words and phrases like toe-beans, blep, and furbies enrich our vocabulary and reflect the fondness we all have for cats and Tabby’s Place alike.

So do names – official and friendly – but that’s too much to get into.

For now, I’d just like to remind you that we have all played Simon Says. Right now, I think our Simon is saying, “Enough with the sayings. Go pet someone.”

And, you all know that we have to do what Simon says.

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