Ever notice how news anchors abbreviate words that are deemed too offensive like the N-word. Last Week with John Oliver collected instances of ever letter being used in bit titled “Words newscasters coyly refuse to say.”
Not all the words are actually bad. Some are just attempts to be clever and emphasize the seriousness of the word given the context. The “E” word stands for excommunicate, which is pretty bad if you’re a devout Christian. As for the Z-word it’s presumably zombie, which is offensive. The politically correct term is Partially Deceased Syndrome (PDS) sufferer.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver airs Sunday at 9PM on HBO.