coarseness update

Jonathan Lighter wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM
Fri Mar 9 21:43:34 UTC 2012


Dysphemism is the word you want.

JL

On Fri, Mar 9, 2012 at 3:40 PM, Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: coarseness update
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Not homophobic or sexist... It's become a reverse euphemism for being
> fully subordinate--no sexual innuendo attached. Sinophobic? For sure!
>
>     VS-)
>
> PS: Do we have a standard term what I just called "reverse euphemism"?
> Choosing a coarse expression to amplify something that can easily be
> described without it? Slur is not quite right in this case...
>
>
>
> On 3/8/2012 10:29 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > ...
> > And middle-aged businessguy Peter Kiernan is interviewed on CNN about his
> > hot-selling _Becoming China's Bitch_.
> >
> > Quasi-obscene? Sexist? Sinophobic? Homophobic? (why not "China's Punk"?)
> > You judge.
> > ...
>
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