[hunter2_]

A minor issue with that reasoning is that it doesn't explain why you might use the word asshat to refer to a person who is wearing an asshat. Asshatter would make a bit more sense, akin to brownnoser. On the other hand, I guess words like fatass have this same problem of equating the person with something the person possesses.

[lancefisher]

Whether you’re talking about The Crown as the queen, The Whitehouse as the executive branch, or the pen being mightier than the sword, metonymy is a common linguistic device that uses a part as a metaphor for the whole.

[evandale]

> metonymy

What a great word, thanks for sharing!

[JadeNB]

> On the other hand, I guess words like fatass have this same problem of equating the person with something the person possesses.

On the third hand, I'm not sure that "fatass" really means "your ass is fat" specifically; I've always understood it to mean "you are fat, and an ass." That is, I take it in this respect to be like "dumbass": "you are dumb, and an ass", not "your ass is dumb".

[hunter2_]

Touché (or tushy, as the case may be).

[tshaddox]

I've never been aware of your interpretation. I've always understood "fat-ass" to just mean "fat," or perhaps closely-associated derogatory traits like "sedentary" or "lazy."

[JadeNB]

> I've never been aware of your interpretation. I've always understood "fat-ass" to just mean "fat," or perhaps closely-associated derogatory traits like "sedentary" or "lazy."

Yes, that is my interpretation—unless you mean to dispute my claim that "fat-ass" means "fat, and an ass" by asserting instead that "-ass" is a meaningless intensifier. I'm also OK with that interpretation; what I mean to reject is the interpretation that "fat-ass" means anything specifically about a fat ass, as opposed to fatness in general.

[tshaddox]

To me “ass” is almost always used to mean someone is either rude or stupid, and “fat-ass” implies neither of those things.

[PantaloonFlames]

Why is it fat-ass or dumb-ass, and not fat+ass and dumb+ass ?