Dysphemism: When a Euphemism Just Won’t Do

Last week, guest blogger Jags Arthurson wrote a wonderful piece about euphemisms. Then, a reader asked me about dysphemisms, which frankly I had not heard of. Obviously, they are the opposite of euphemisms. 

Eu comes from the Greek and means good, thus euphemism is a good word or phase for something: eulogy, euphoria, utopia (with the “e” missing). 

Dys, on the other hand, means ill or bad: dystopia, dyspepsia, dysfunction. Dis is similar, meaning opposite or unlike: dishonest, dishonorable, dislike, etc.

So dysphemism is a derogatory or unpleasant term used for something or someone, rather than a neutral or pleasant term. The term is sometimes unpleasant to only the giver or other times only the receiver. 

We can think of many dysphemisms:

• Instead of mental hospital: loony bin, nuthouse
• Instead of psychiatrist: shrink
• Instead of learning disabled: retarded (now a dysphemism, but the term used to be quite common)

There are many different types of dysphemisms.

• Synecdoche: A figure of speech where a part is used to represent the whole: She is an asshole.
• Animal epithets: She is a dog. What a rat he is. He proved himself to be a snake.
• Targeted at a particular religion or ethnicity: kikes for Jews, chinks for Chinese, wops for Italians
• Name Disphemisms:  These come in a few different forms.  If you call Dr. Smith, Bill, he may consider that a dysphemism if he wants to be called by his title. Or perhaps instead of calling your son Bobby, when you are angry you call him “Robert John Smith..”
• Non–verbal Dysphemism: Using gestures to offend someone
• Cross–cultural Dysphemism: Sometimes a term is a dysphemism in one culture but not in another. In American culture, calling a gay person a “fag” is generally a dysphemism. But in Britain, fag means cigarette, so you probably would not use that dysphemism there.
• Some phrases are dysphemistic in certain contexts and neutral or euphemistic in others: These are called X-phemisms. For example, if Fred tells his friend he got laid, the phrase is neutral or euphemistic. If he says the same thing to his grandparents, they may consider it a dysphemism (or just plain Too Much Information)!
• Some words that used to be euphemisms are now considered dysphemisms: Consider the world colored. It has been replaced by more neutral words such as black and African-American.
• And then take the N word. It is a euphemism, or at least a neutral word, when said from one person of color to another. But if you are white, it is definitely a dysphemism. Then the word dyke to represent a gay woman. I have heard it used in the gay community as a neutral word, whereas it is often a slur, or dysphemism, when said by a person outside the gay community.

Here are a few more dysphemisms:

Snail mail – the post office

Cancer stick – a cigarette

Egghead – a smart peson

Pigs – the police

Bullshit – lies

Tub of  lard – overweight person

Terrorist – protesters of various degrees. The Proud Boys would probably consider being called terrorists a dysphemism.

Snowflake – a new dysphemism for liberals

Control freak – someone who is organized

And in literature, of course: In Shakespeare’s Othello, he called his wife a strumpet. (You can probably figure that one out!)

 

I recently did a guest appearance on the Florida Writers podcast. Here it is if you want to take a listen!