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<p>Philosopher Jennifer Saul (2017, 2021, 2024) coined the term ‘figleaf’ to refer to parts of speech which obscure bigotry and/or falsehoods in other utterances. As this device predominantly manifests in language, this article explores their function from a linguistic perspective, situating them in theories of meaning and politeness. I compare their mechanism to linguistic hedges, characterising both as ‘attenuators’ (devices which modulate speaker commitment) which ultimately motivates a novel definition of hedging that incorporates the perlocutionary dimension central to figleaves.</p>

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Beating about the Bush: Figleaves, Hedges, and Politeness

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月19日

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  • Elsie Lidington

摘要

Philosopher Jennifer Saul (2017, 2021, 2024) coined the term ‘figleaf’ to refer to parts of speech which obscure bigotry and/or falsehoods in other utterances. As this device predominantly manifests in language, this article explores their function from a linguistic perspective, situating them in theories of meaning and politeness. I compare their mechanism to linguistic hedges, characterising both as ‘attenuators’ (devices which modulate speaker commitment) which ultimately motivates a novel definition of hedging that incorporates the perlocutionary dimension central to figleaves.