This is the allusionist in which I, Helen Zaltzman, keep my friends close, but keep language closer.
Previously on the Allusionist.
I talked with Aubrey Gordon about the word fat and euphemisms for fat, why people avoid saying fat, what else people mean when they say fat, and how it would be quite good if people said fat as just a descriptive term for fat.
Now get ready for more fat chat from me and Aubrey, as well as some of you.
Thanks to to all of you who sent in your thoughts and feelings about the word fat.
Content note this episode contains discussions of body size, body image, weight, anti fatness, illness, including cancer, diet, culture, weight loss, intentional and un, and eating disorders.
And there are some category a swears in case you are unfamiliar with episode four of this show, category a is the strong stuff, the Defcon one of swears.
I always have to look up whether Defcon one or five is the defconniest level.
It's one swear con, one on with the show.
Hi, I'm Delta and I'm fat, and the euphemism that I really hate is big boned because my bones are not bigger than anyone else's.
I'm just fat.
It's the fat on my body and not the bones.
Eleanor also wrote in about big boned.
It just doesn't make sense.
To be fair, I think it is one people have tried to use to be less judgmental but not sure the outcome is meeting intention.
Calling someone or someone calling me podgy would not be good because the word fat is there and let's just use it.
But I'm weirdly fond of calling fat bits of the body podge, or podgy, as it's such a silly sounding word it feels neutral.
There are a number of irish euphemisms for being fat, which I remember from a very young age, but prime amongst them is to become strong, or to be strong specifically as a woman means that you are of size, definitely, or perceived to be of size.
One that my grandmother particularly liked was getting broad at the beam, which meant, I suppose, that you were filling out in an undesirable way.
She would also describe people as being beef to the heel, like a mullingar heifer, which I suppose targeted your legs more than anything.