>In communist countries, they tried to erase history, and renaming things was a favorite tool. As if the things were different if they were named differently. One of the specialties of Yugoslav self-management socialism was new names for everything, to show the substantial difference from the Eastern block. It went so far, that the farmers were officially dubbed "individual agricultural producers", and the teachers of grades 1 to 4 "lecturers of class curriculum" (to differ from regular lecturers who taught 5 to 8).
>
>I somehow fail to see the big difference between that and this.

Yes, exactly - and after a while, another, and then another, word has to be invented... because, after all, what causes disgust, discomfort, or whatever, is ultimately the object (or action, or idea, depending), and not the word.

Salcia Landmann (in: "Der Jüdische Witz" - a book on Jewish humor) mentions this sort of pattern for body parts, and the sex act, IIRC. I wish I had the book in front of me; I find her single-paragraph description very appropriate - but I can also see that it extends to other areas.

So, every few years, new words are invented for "household servant" - seems to be related with their low status, in the eyes of society.

And here too, every few years a new word is invented for "school" - I don't understand the logic; perhaps this is the opposite phenomenon: that the old words seem too humble for such a noble institution... or perhaps it is something related to schoolteachers having a low salary (and therefore status!). I don't know, but it certainly seems to follow the pattern.

And in the case of foreigners... I didn't yet hear euphemisms for foreigners here, but what you mention does seems to follow the familiar pattern.

Generalising, I have the impression that this phenomenon applies to:

Anything related to sex.

Low-status or low-paid professionals (prostitutes, household servants, teachers).

All sorts of minorities that are, or were, held in low esteem (negroes, indians, but also homosexuals).

All sorts of professions - and the related institutions - which may not exactly be in low esteem, but who maybe want to have a better-sounding name - this may apply to teachers; also "hair stylists" (hair-cutters - what was the old name for this?).

For us mere mortals (I like that link <g>), it becomes a nuisance to keep up with the "term of the day", and with being frowned upon for using an "old-fashioned" or even "politically incorrect" term.

Difference in opinions hath cost many millions of lives: for instance, whether flesh be bread, or bread be flesh; whether whistling be a vice or a virtue; whether it be better to kiss a post, or throw it into the fire... (from Gulliver's Travels)