”Nappy-headed hos,” the phrase that cost radio shock jock Don Imus his job and triggered a debate on how far free speech can go, was named on Thursday as the most egregious politically incorrect turn of phrase in 2007.
Trailing behind that phrase in the annual survey by Global Language Monitor, a word usage group, were ”ho-ho-ho” and ”carbon-footprint stomping,” said the group’s president Paul JJ Payack.
”Ho-ho-ho” made the list after a staffing company in Sydney, Australia suggested to prospective Santas they drop their traditional greeting in favour of ”ha-ha-ha” so as not to invoke images of the derogatory slang term for women.
”Carbon-footprint stomping” is a phrase used to describe flaunting environmentally ”green” activities by doing things like driving gas-guzzling Hummers and flying private jets, which in these energy-conscious times might be considered the height of political incorrectness.
New York-based Imus was fired from his popular morning radio program by CBS in April 2007 after a national controversy erupted over his use of the ”nappy-headed” phrase to describe the Rutgers University women’s basketball team. Imus later apologised and met with the team to ask for forgiveness. – Reuters