[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 ?