Wednesday 28 November 2007

excessive use of euphemism

one of the masters at geelong grammar school (for english readers the equivalent of rugby or harrow) has been sent down for, what lawyers style, "visual capture of the genital region". or, in literate english, upskirting one of the female students.

i recall something similar in evelyn waugh's "decline and fall". says the porter to a fellow delated for gross indecency: "i expect you'll be becoming a schoolmaster, sir. that's what most of the gentlemen does, sir, that gets sent down for indecent behaviour."

but in the case of the geelong grammarian, he's already a schoolteacher. is there any place lower for him to fall? advertising? the media?