A Letter to the New York Times

Sir -
In your story, The Boys From "South Park" Go To War I came across the following passage: "His partner, Mr. Stone, glumly agreed: 'We're so dumb.' (Except that he added a four-letter word. Many of their sentences include four-letter words.)" Later, we read, "'We hate both of them,' Mr. Parker confirmed. 'They're both retards. We have to choose between a' — four-letter word — 'sandwich and a' — same four-letter word — 'sandwich.' O.K., so they're not exactly nuanced." And finally, "'It's just a dumb puppet movie.' (Except he added a four-letter word.)"

Which four-letter word do you mean? I do like to consider myself well-versed in most current obscenities, profanities and vulgarities. But the only term I find it likely that Messrs Stone and Parker would have used, in each instance, the adjective form of the legendary "F-word", is seven letters. So I went and checked my copy of The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage. Under the entry for "obscenity, profanity, vulgarity" I read the following:

The Times also forgoes offensive or coy hints. An article should not seem to be saying, "Look, I want to use this word, but they won't let me." Generally that principle rules out telltale strings of hyphens or dashes (The prosecutor is full of ----). Editors may sparingly allow paraphrase of a term, if it truly sheds light on a serious question. But a phrase like the legendary barnyard expletive, ambiguous about the animal to which it alludes, may raise questions as distracting as those it answers.

(You do have a copy, right?)

If there is a new four-letter adjective obscenity, profanity, or vulgarity that the Hollywood in-crowd is using, I think it is the Times's obligation - nay, duty! - to inform the American public.

C'mon, at least give us a hint...

Yours,
MRJEFF3000

PS -- "Blame Canada" was not so much the theme of the South Park series, as it was of the movie, South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut.