A word or phrase which, when uttered
aloud, is sure to cause
offense or a fight, especially a vulgar ethnic
epithet spoken to a member of the group to which it refers.
"Then he said
the Magic Word and the fun started -- five minutes later that bar was wrecked and someone's head had been pushed into the deep fat
fryer. We left just ahead of the cops, the firemen, and the
ambulance."
