A Chinese-American says she’s not offended by the term “Oriental,” but she’s been told she should be. Who’s right? This is part of a complete episode.
When you hear the F-word in a modern Hollywood movie about life in an earlier century, you may wonder if this expletive is an anachronism. Is the F-word of recent vintage, or did Hollywood actually get right this time? Grant recommends a book on the...
Does the expression “call a spade a spade” have racist roots? Martha explains that it derives from an ancient Greek phrase, but cautions against its use nevertheless. This is part of a complete episode.
Is there a word for @#$%!^*)!&!, those typographical symbols standing in for profanity? There is indeed. It’s grawlix—not to be confused with jarns, quimps, nittles, lucaflects, or plewds. For more on such terms, check out Mort...
You may have used the expression, “Nobody here but us chickens!” Would you still use it if you knew its origins lie in a racist joke from the turn of the 20th century? This is part of a complete episode.
Remember when Bugs Bunny used to say, “Now wait just a cotton-pickin’ minute!”? A caller wants to know if cotton-pickin’ has racist overtones. This is part of a complete episode.