'Politically incorrect' phrases ranked

SAN DIEGO, March 21 (UPI) -- The Global Language Monitor has released its list of the most egregious examples of politically incorrect speech from last year.

Topping the 2007 list is: "nappy-headed ho," the phrase that helped lead to the firing of radio personality Don Imus when he used it to describe the women on the Rutgers University basketball team. Second place went to "ho-ho-ho" and "Carbon Footprint Stomping" finished third, the group said in a statement.

This year's list, based on surveys of the group's language observers from all over the world, includes words and phrases from the United States, Britain, Australia and China.

"It is no surprise that a 'nappy-headed ho' was selected as the top politically incorrect word or phrase for 2007," said Paul JJ Payack, President and Chief Word Analyst of The Global Language Monitor.

"A year later that phrase is still ricocheting about the Internet, even affecting Christmas-season Santas in Australia," he added.

The Aussie Santas were advised, briefly, to say "ha, ha, ha" instead of "ho, ho, ho" -- on the theory that the latter phrase sounded too much like the American slang for prostitute.