fustilarian

Why this word is great

FUSTILARIAN — [Noun] A low fellow; a stinkard; a scoundrel. Possibly from fustilugs ("unattractive, grossly overweight person") + -arian (suffix forming nouns denoting a person associated with a particular quality). Unlike "scoundrel" (which hints at rakish charm) or "lout" (which suggests mere oafishness), "fustilarian" conjures a creature steeped in grime and reek—a man whose very presence is an olfactory offense. It is the sour tang of unwashed wool in a crowded alehouse, the greasy thumbprint on a pawnshop ledger, the way a certain kind of laughter sticks to the walls like old tallow smoke. Some degradations are not just moral, but corporeal.