ON THE IRANIAN EFL GRADUATESʹʹ RECOGNITION OF SEMANTIC OPAQUENESS OF EUPHEMISTIC EXPRESSIONS IN ENGLISH

This study aimed to probe into the semantic opaqueness of English euphemisms and investigate it in view of the maxims of cooperative principle based on the mindset of Iranian EFL graduates. For this purpose, data from 100 Iranian EFL graduates on 60 English euphemistic expressions were collected and analyzed. The results indicated that interlocutors do not constantly observe the CP maxims but recurrently flout them,while using euphemisms. In this vein, considering the rate of flouting, the manner maxim ranked first and the quantity maxim ranked last. Besides, concerning EFL learnersʹ recognition of semantic opaqueness in English euphemisms, the supremacy of flouting of the manner maxim revealed that interlocutorshave frequent tendency to do flout and sayvague things to avoid unpleasant and embarrassing issues in a direct way. So it supported the idea that EFLlearnersʹ recognition of English euphemisms can characterize the semantic opaqueness of English euphemisms. It was finally concluded that due to semantic opaqueness, a potential threat to EFL learners could be their being unenlightened about the implications of the shades of meanings of euphemisms when they are exposed to them, or when they are recognizing or producing discourse.