The oldest entry here, and the only one this dictionary will defend a little. “Passed away” is a euphemism for death, and Mamet’s rule would strike it. But it is not a lie told to a listener; it is a courtesy offered to one. Everybody in the room knows what it means. Nobody is protected from the fact.

It earns a place because of what grew up around it. “Passed” became “passed on,” then “lost,” then “is no longer with us,” and in institutions the drift continued until it reached “negative patient outcome,” which is in this dictionary without any defense at all. The gentle euphemism is where the ungentle ones learn their trade.

Mamet’s argument is not that we should be cruel. It is that we should notice when a word has been chosen to avoid something, and ask who the avoidance is for. “Passed away” is for the widow. “Adverse event” is for the hospital. The dictionary is here to keep that distinction visible.