The Finer Points of Street Grammar

[Deeper_Background]

Just to give our readers a look at how fastidiously accurate we are at the MRC, we've been having a bit of an in-house debate about the proper spelling for the nominative plural for "ho," as in the street slang for *****. Yes, news is stranger than fiction, and we only have Don Imus's "nappy-headed hos (?)" remark to blame for this journalistic quandary.

My colleague Matt Balan and I have combed the Web to see how different news orgs handle it and he's found no consensus:

UPI uses "ho's": "Imus last week described Rutgers University's women's basketball team as 'nappy-headed ho's.' Imus also apologized for the comment during his talk show."
Associated Press uses "hos": "Radio host Don Imus, suspended for two weeks for calling the Rutgers female basketball players 'nappy-headed hos,' called the punishment appropriate Tuesday but stressed, 'I am not a racist.'
LA Times uses "***s": "Radio provocateur Don Imus apologized Friday for referring to the Rutgers women's basketball team as 'some nappy-headed ***s' on a broadcast of his syndicated radio show 'Imus in the Morning,' which also airs live on MSNBC."
Gregory Moore at BlackAthlete.net also uses "***s."
We at NewsBusters typically follow Associated Press Style and since the AP wire is going with "hos," that probably will be the default for any future posts, for what that's worth.


Ken Shepherd http://newsbusters.org/node/11941

 

[Shaggy]

I always thought it was "***s" too, but I defer to AP on this.

 

[FishHack76]

I think it would be ho's because it's short for whores, I believe. I guess it technically could be 'ho's, but that looks awfully weird with the apostrophe in front.

 

[novelist_wannabe]

If we must delve into this at all, "***s" is too easily confused with a garden implement. "Ho's" is singular possessive. "Hos" would be the correct reference, I would think, as the plural for "ho."

BTW, Santa is mortified by all this.

 

[joe]

I always thought it was "***s" too, but I defer to AP on this.

***s: Garden implements.

 

[Shaggy]

Why the apostrophe. Nappy-headed hos needs no apostrophe.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

The Media Research Center breaks for lunch.

 

[imjustagirl2]

I now, when I log on, immediately go to Fenian's profile and do 'see most recent posts' just to see the pictures he's posted.

 

[The Legacy of Mike Lum]

This time it's a bright red X.

 

[imjustagirl2]

Not on mine, Mike. Mine makes me laugh.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

Wait, what's the style for Ho-Hos? That's your precedent.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

 

[Mystery_Meat]

$5.10 a pound for Ho Hos? You can get shrimp for that price! But shrimp don't have creamy filling and a chocolate shell. Verdict: wash.

 

[fmrsped]

Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls > HoHos

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

Oh, no, my good fellow...

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Urban Dictionary sets everyone straight:

hos

slang for ***s!

 

[novelist_wannabe]

Fenian, I know it must feel like you're making up for lost time, not having mastered photos for your first 15,000 posts and all, but you need to pace yourself, my cantankerous friend. You're going to strain something.