An association of teachers had considered a proposal to use “deferred success” as euphemism for “fail.”

According to the Global Language Monitor: “The Professional Association of Teachers in the UK considered a proposal to replace any notion of failure with deferred success in order to bolster students’ self-esteem.”

Among the euphemisms spotted this year are: misguided criminals for terrorist (used by the BBC); thought shower or word shower for brainstorm so as not to offend those with brain disorders; womyn for women; and Happy Holidays and Season’s Greetings in place of Christmas greetings containing the word Christmas.

Reuters reported:

The phrase that topped this year’s list was “misguided criminals,” one of several terms the BBC used so as not to use the word “terrorist” in describing those who carried out train and bus bombings in London that killed 52 people in July, according to Paul JJ Payack, the head of Global Language Monitor.

He added, “The BBC attempts to strip away all emotion by using what it considers ‘neutral’ descriptions when describing those who carried out the bombings in the London Tubes.”