Etymology

Probably a calque of English piece of **** (borrowed at the end of the 20th century after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, with the rising influence of American popular culture in Russia), to denote the same idea that куча ‎(kuča) is traditionally used for, but usually only literally (never of a thing or person).

The calque nature of the idiom is obvious to a native speaker since кусок ‎(kusok, “piece”) presupposes целое ‎(celoje, “the whole”) in Russian. For example, кусок пирога ‎(kusok piroga, “a piece of a pie”). While the English idiom piece is used in the sense of an item belonging to the class of similar items, the meaning of Russian кусок ‎(kusok) is closer to that of the English word part.

Since the source of the calque is transparent, the synonymous combination кусок говна ‎(kusok govna) is possible as well, but the usage of both phrases is restricted even in colloquial speech.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kʊˈsoɡ dʲɪrʲˈma]