A government that has promised not to raise taxes and then needs to raise taxes has two choices: break the promise, or rename the thing. In late 1981 Washington chose the second, and “revenue enhancement” entered the language as a tax increase that could be voted for by people who had sworn never to vote for one.

The phrase is an exact specimen of Mamet’s “semantic game.” Nothing about the policy changed. A taxpayer paid more. What changed was whether a particular sentence could be printed in a particular newsletter. The word was chosen for the press release, not for the citizen.

The family is large: “user fee,” “contribution,” “closing loopholes,” “broadening the base.” Each is a way of saying “you will pay more” that allows the speaker to deny having said it.