Holy crap! What an excellent word!

dysphemism (n.): the substitution of a disagreeable, offensive, or disparaging expression for an agreeable or inoffensive one; also : an expression so substituted

“Dysphemism” is the precise opposite of the much more common “euphemism,” the substitution of a less offensive or vulgar word for one moreso. An example off the top of my head might be “tramp stamp” or “cum-catcher” for those ubiquitous lower back tattoos found on girls of our generation.

It seems to me that dysphemism, more than euphemism, defines our language and makes it colorful in ways we use every day. Dysphemisms are more thought-provoking, emotion-provoking, and fun to say than euphemisms. I suppose I’ve never literally kicked the shit out of someone — it’s kind of a disgusting concept, really — but it’s a lot more fun to project that image than it is to say, “Man, I really defeated you in Soul Calibur.” It’s so bland to say someone’s going to “be sick” — I’d much rather say they’re going to “blow chunks.”

The dysphemism/euphemism dichotomy also makes for interesting possibilities. You can have dysphemisms and euphemisms for the same concept, for instance: Wikipedia’s discussion of the subject suggests that a dead person can have “passed away” or “kicked the bucket,” depending on one’s attitude toward the departed. You can have words or phrases that are both a dysphemism and a euphemism depending on the context: there’s no greater term of respect in the world of finance, for instance, than being called a “big swinging dick,” despite the fact that in all other worlds, being called something like “the biggest dick in history” would be a bad thing.

How did I stumble upon this word? A very literate Wikipedia editor used it to characterize the inaccurate description of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plotters as “terrorists.” How great is that?