We all use euphemisms every day - `nice' expressions that shield us from the offensive or frightening things they describe. Euphemisms have existed throughout recorded history; they are used even by preliterate peoples and have probably been around since recognizably human languages first developed. The same is true of offensive language, or 'dysphemisms' - words used as weapons against others, or release valves for anger and frustration. In this entertaining study, Keith Allan and Kate Burridge embark on a linguistic and social-psychological exploration of this intriguing universal human practice.