'Ho' voted 2008's 'Most Politically Incorrect Term'

Melbourne, Mar 21 : 'Ho' - an insulting term for women - has been named as 2008's 'Most Politically Incorrect Term' after a Sydney company threatened to ban their Santas from using their traditional greeting 'Ho-Ho-Ho' in favour of 'Ha-Ha-Ha' so as not to invoke images of the derogatory U.S. slang term for women.

The phrase 'Nappy-headed hos' was named 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.

'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.

New York-based Imus was fired from his popular morning radio program by CBS in April 2007 after a national controversy triggered over his use of the "Nappy-headed hos" phrase to describe the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

Imus later apologized and met with the team to ask for forgiveness.

"It is no surprise that 'Nappy-headed hos' was selected as the top politically incorrect word or phrase for 2007," The Daily Telegraph quoted Payack, as saying.

Among other examples on the list are - 'Fire-breathing Dragon' - Children's book author Lindsey Gardiner was asked to eliminate a fire-breathing dragon from her new book because publishers feared they could be sued under health and safety regulations.

'Wucha dun did now?' - The subtitle of a "Ghetto Handbook" distributed by a Houston school district police officer to enable readers to speak "as if you just came out of the 'hood."

'Gypsy skirt' - The colorful layered skirt was given a new name, 'Traveler Skirt', since police in Cornwall, a county in southwest England, believed the term 'Gypsy Skirt' might be considered offensive to Gypsies.

ANI