travest

Why this word is great

TRAVEST — [Verb] To mock or parody by imitating in a grotesque or exaggerated manner. From French travestir, from Italian travestire ("to disguise"), from tra- ("across") + vestire ("to dress"). Unlike "parody" (which winks with affection) or "disguise" (which seeks concealment), to travest is to dress the familiar in garish, ill-fitting garb—a cruel masquerade. It is the court jester’s leer as he apes the king’s limp, the politician’s speech rendered in the shrill tones of a carnival barker, or a beloved melody played out of tune on a broken piano—each a reminder that reverence is fragile, and mockery, the easiest art.