dhodhi
n.— «The source of laughter is the name Dodi which, according to the way it is pronounced, would be spelt “Dhodhi” in Shona and is used euphemistically in everyday conversation as a polite way of referring to human waste or faeces. A corruption of the English word “dirt” (meaning filth), dhodhi (singular) or madhodhi (plural) is used in everyday speech in place of the actual Shona word for human waste, “matuzvi” which, among the overly prudish Shona people is considered vulgar.» —“Time for names Chimurenga” by Mbulawa Moyo Financial Gazette (South Africa) Aug. 5, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Advice about college essays from the winner of a top prize for children’s literature: Kelly Barnhill encourages teens to write about experiences that are uniquely their own, from a point of view that is theirs and no one else’s. Plus, why do we say...
While compiling the Oxford English Dictionary, lexicographer James Murray exchanged hundreds of letters a week with authors, advisors, and volunteer researchers. A new collection online lets you eavesdrop on discussions about which words should be...