Tact and Truth: In a Word

       Connie and I have talked about weight gain and loss lately, which reminded me that no one likes to be called "fat," and I remembered a certain incident. 

       Cousin Norbert was visiting our family's house, and my dad hadn't seen him for several months.  Norbert, about 40 at that time, reached out to shake my dad's hand.  In his eighties, Dad took it and stared a bit at Norbert.  "You're looking  . . . stocky," he said.  Norbert had gained some around the middle.  This struck Norbert and his wife Shirley so funny, they laughed at the way Dad put it.

       No, he didn't say "fat."  But "stocky" was a pretty good euphemism.   I overheard it and chuckled at Dad's ingenuity.

       "Stocky":  "compact, sturdy, relatively thick in build"  (Merriam-Webster).  I'd say Dad hit it on the nose.