I work — well, worked — in Building 197 at the Washington Navy Yard. I personally have been only inconvenienced by the shooting there; I didn't see or hear any of it, even though I was at the other end of the building. But, needless to say, my colleagues and I have had many discussions of the events of that day. We have tacitly agreed not to use such words as shooting, murder, kill, etc. It hurts enough as is.
Bob Lieblich said,
September 28, 2013 @ 8:50 am
I work — well, worked — in Building 197 at the Washington Navy Yard. I personally have been only inconvenienced by the shooting there; I didn't see or hear any of it, even though I was at the other end of the building. But, needless to say, my colleagues and I have had many discussions of the events of that day. We have tacitly agreed not to use such words as shooting, murder, kill, etc. It hurts enough as is.
Euphemism has its uses.
Sybil said,
September 29, 2013 @ 1:48 pm
Just surprised that there is only one comment (so far) here.
And, honestly, that this usage hasn't taken off. Laying people off is so twentieth-century!
Dennis Paul Himes said,
September 30, 2013 @ 9:20 am
I thought the joke would have worked better if he had said, "Outsourcing" instead of "Downsizing".