[Cicero]

Nappy-head, it turns out (excuse my whiteyness), means a black person who has allowed their hair to grow naturally into a tightly curled afro. It’s a term that can be used self-referentially with pride or disparagingly about others. Being a racial thing, its power is in the mouth of the speaker. Or is it in the ear of the listener? It’s complicated, so, in the interests of a quiet life, don’t use it unless you are very confident or, in fact, a nappy-head.

Fire him!

[tsowellfan]

I accidentally ran into rap videos and videos by blacks on YouTube done 4 months ago and earlier with “Nappy-head” in the title of the video. That did not originate from Imus.

[bannie]

When I was a teen, afros were “cool.” Does this mean that what used to be “cool” is now called “nappy”?

[Texas Songwriter]

I did not know that the word "nappy" was an ethnic word. I learned the word when we built our house. When we were preparing our doors for painting or staining, we had to pretreat with a primer. When the primer dried it dried with a very roughened surface which felt a little like sandpaper. That surface had to be sanded to remove the 'nap' before the paint was applied.

I am led to believe that 'Nap' refers to the roughened surface of certain kinds of fabrics or carpet.

It seems to work as an adjective or noun, but ethnic????????I didn't know it was a word set-aside for black folk.

[ashtanga]

In my salad days I worked with a gentleman nicknamed “Peas.” His hair, you see, was “peasy.” While I as unfamiliar with the term “nappy,” I was ahead of the curve is some ways. I declined to use his nickname, figuring that it might be offensive coming from a honky. Terminology apart, I sure miss him. Most of the lower class black folks, and I was one -lower class, that is, were kind and generous with a delicious sense of irony. I wander from the subject, so forgive me. Tomorrow, perhaps, I’ll have the strength to take on the cultural Marxists who brought us to this pass.