Sambo

possibly from a Hausan personal name meaning "second son," Sambo was popularized by Helen Bannerman's 1899 book, The Story of Little Black Sambo, in which a clever boy outwits some determined tigers. Republished in 2003 with new illustrations to replace the condescending originals, the book reignited a debate over its ethnic stereotypes. On one level, it is a charming story (and was even chosen as one of the top 40 children's books by Kirkus Reviews, on their 2003 Editor's Choice List), but it's been called racist for its stereotypical characters and derogatory names (Sambo's parents are Mumbo and Jumbo). Some say no amount of revision can sanitize the pejorative "Sambo," which dates to the mid-19th century (Irving Lewis Allen, Unkind Words). As the lowercased "sambo" referred to a happy black slave, it should never be used to refer to someone.