# Need a more PC term for "tar baby" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 9, 2012, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-more-pc-term-for-tar-baby/621420 "2012-05-09T20:25:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-more-pc-term-for-tar-baby/621420/41 "2012-05-11T18:22:41Z")
Kobayashi Maru? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-more-pc-term-for-tar-baby/621420/42 "2012-05-11T18:44:06Z")
Bituminous infant? ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-more-pc-term-for-tar-baby/621420/43 "2012-05-11T19:04:24Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > Kobayashi Maru? Oooooo, _Star Trek_ reference. I like it. 🆒 Repercussions. ---
**Author:** ![phxjcc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phxjcc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phxjcc)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-more-pc-term-for-tar-baby/621420/44 "2012-05-11T20:33:40Z")
Pandora’s Box Morass Labyrinth Web and one that I never heard of… Boscage - A mass of trees or shrubs; a thicket. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-more-pc-term-for-tar-baby/621420/45 "2012-05-11T21:34:00Z")
When you are at the bottom of a hole you have been digging and it is too deep, stop digging. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-more-pc-term-for-tar-baby/621420/46 "2012-05-12T03:30:53Z")
“holding a wolf by the ears” ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-more-pc-term-for-tar-baby/621420/47 "2012-05-12T03:49:35Z")
Caught on a slippery slope? ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-more-pc-term-for-tar-baby/621420/48 "2012-05-12T03:53:06Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > “holding a wolf by the ears” I like this one also. Like “riding a tiger,” I think. Hang on! ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-more-pc-term-for-tar-baby/621420/49 "2012-05-12T04:06:37Z")
Instead of “punched the tar baby” I now say “put your dick in the crazy”. ---
**Author:** ![destineal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@destineal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/destineal)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-more-pc-term-for-tar-baby/621420/50 "2012-05-12T04:26:39Z")
Hey, this question hit close to home for me. A few years ago, a black Pomeranian puppy wandered up to our house. We took him in (cause he’s awesome) and innocently named him Tarbaby- because he’s small, black, and crap sticks to him constantly. Didnt think of the racial thing at all. We soon figured out that it’s kind of uncomfortable to go outside and yell “Tarbaby!..Here, Tarbaby!” in a mostly black neighborhood. We just call him Tar these days. I realize this isn’t helpful, so I’ll just go away now. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-more-pc-term-for-tar-baby/621420/51 "2012-05-12T05:56:03Z")
Grabbing a tiger by the tail. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-more-pc-term-for-tar-baby/621420/52 "2012-05-12T15:36:47Z")
Hey, I think that’s it! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-more-pc-term-for-tar-baby/621420/53 "2012-05-12T15:53:56Z")
“Quagmire” seems the closest, but even that doesn’t really convey the idea that it is your aggression which is getting you into deeper and deeper trouble. I think there is no perfect metaphorical substitute for “tarbaby.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-a-more-pc-term-for-tar-baby/621420.md?page=2)