Chink in one's armor

Etymology

The phrase "chink in one's armor" has been used idiomatically since the mid-17th century. It is based on a definition of chink meaning "a crack or gap," dating back to around 1400.

Notable controversies

While the phrase itself is innocuous, its use in contemporary times has caused controversy in the United States due to it including the homonym "chink", which can be interpreted as an ethnic slur to refer to someone of Chinese or East Asian descent.

ESPN

Considerable controversy was generated in the United States after two incidents regarding Taiwanese American basketball player Jeremy Lin and the network ESPN occurred in the same week.

An editor used the phrase as a headline on the company's web site in February 2012; the headline was titled "Chink in the Armor", and referred specifically to Lin. The headline was a reference to Lin's unsuccessful game against the New Orleans Hornets, suggesting that Jeremy Lin's popularity and winning streak were weakening. While ESPN has used the phrase "chink in the armor" on its website over 3,000 times before, its usage in this instance was considered offensive because it directly referred to a person of Asian descent. Many viewed the usage of the phrase as a double entendre. ESPN quickly removed the headline, apologized, and said it was conducting an internal review. The editor, Anthony Federico, denied any idiomatic usage, saying "This had nothing to do with me being cute or punny ... I'm so sorry that I offended people. I'm so sorry if I offended Jeremy." Federico was fired and later became a Catholic priest as a result of the incident.

On-air ESPN commentator Max Bretos also used the same phrase to refer to Lin, asking "If there is a chink in the armor, where can Lin improve his game?" Bretos apologized, saying "My wife is Asian, would never intentionally say anything to disrespect her and that community." He was later suspended from his position for a month. Forbes believes he did so without racist intent.

Comedy television show Saturday Night Live satirized ESPN's use of the phrase, pointing out the difference in society's reaction to racial jokes about Asian people versus racial jokes about black people. In the skit, three sports commentators were featured happily making jokes about Lin's race, while a fourth drew contempt for making similar comments about black players.

Other

A commentator on CNBC in 2013 used the phrase when referring to Rupert Murdoch's divorce of his Asian-American wife, sparking outrage. In 2015, The Wall Street Journal used the idiom in a tweet to promote an article about various difficulties China's paramount leader Xi Jinping was encountering. The organization subsequently deleted the post, stating that "a common idiom used might be seen as a slur. No offense was intended."

In October 2018, TBS baseball announcer Ron Darling, who himself is of Chinese descent, used the phrase during a Yankees-Red Sox playoff game, referring to the performance of Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka and immediately received similar criticism. Darling later apologized for his unintentional choice of words.

References

References

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2. (2011-04-27). "Chink vs. kink". [[Grammarist]].
3. "Chink in one's armor | Define Chink in one's armor at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com.
4. "Army expresses surprise about racism allegations over deleted tweet". [[The Washington Post]].
5. Jason McIntyre. (2012-02-20). "ESPN's Fired "Chink in the Armor" Editor Says it Was an Honest Mistake". The Big Lead.
6. Ben Yakas. (2012-02-19). "Video: ESPN's Linsanely Stupid "Chink In Armor" Headline Gets Criticized, Mocked By SNL". Gothamist.
7. Jason McIntyre. (2012-02-18). ["ESPN's Insensitive Jeremy Lin Headline: "Chink in the Armor" Update: ESPN Apologizes". The Big Lead.
8. (2021-10-27). "Fired by ESPN for a racist headline, he's finding his second chance as a Catholic priest". Washington Post.
9. "From ESPN to Seminary: A Comeback Story".
10. (2012-02-19). "Jeremy Lin and ESPN: Network rushes to quell furor over slur". LA Times.
11. Greg McNeal. (2012-04-18). "ESPN Uses "Chink in the Armor" Line Twice UPDATE- ESPN Fires One Employee Suspends Another". Forbes.
12. "Archived copy".
13. (2013-07-31). "Outrage over CNBC reporter's 'chink in the armor' comment about Murdoch's wife". M.washingtonexaminer.com.
14. Wemple, Erik. (August 31, 2015). "Wall Street Journal tweets out unfortunate cliche about Chinese president". The Washington Post.
15. (7 October 2018). "TBS announcer apologizes for unfortunate phrase while discussing Masahiro Tanaka during ALDS".