zompist bboard

To use your own example, Sal, neither [pink rose] nor [rose colour] are commonly-used set phrases/euphemisms with specific meanings. [sanitary product] is. (of course [product pilot] is also a reasonably set phrase, but not nearly as common as [sanitary product] in everyday life, unless you work in sales or marketing)

For whatever it's worth, I wasn't sure whether "sanitary product" could also mean napkins or something.

Vijay wrote:For whatever it's worth, I wasn't sure whether "sanitary product" could also mean napkins or something.

I dont think you'd be widely understood if you used that. But euphemisms go in and out of style .... i once saw napkin in an old children's book as a euphemism for diaper, and Im pretty sure it was once more widespread, since that's where nappy comes from. Sanitary napkin can also mean menstrual pad (heard it once in a video game walkthrough for Binding of Isaac). But I dont think even in Britain that people would just say napkin and expect the listener to think of diapers unless the context was clear. Perhaps it may be used when "nappy" would sound too casual.

Apparently, South Africans do think of diapers when they hear napkin. I don't know about Britons.

For me, nappy is the only word for them. I would never think of nappies when hearing napkin, though.

I know the euphemism, but sanitary product for me is usually a toilet cleaner or a spray.

So I did have a plausible reason to think "sanitary product" might be ambiguous! Thanks, mèþru!

Sorry, Vijay, but my usage of English is bizarre enough that I probably don't count.