phrase requests - What do you call it when a name/word is better known by a pejorative?


A while back, the US Congress passed a bill called the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act”. The bill quickly became known as “Obamacare”. During the time prior to when cannabis was made illegal in the United States, proponents of its prohibition called it “marijuana”.


In both cases, a thing with a proper name became known by a pejorative to the extent that many people wouldn't even recognize the proper term for the thing.


Is there a word or expression in the English language for describing the situation where a thing becomes best known by a pejorative term?




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