Correct to call 'em DIKES?

[Chris (the Hex)]

[Robert]
>> Is it politically correct to call diagonal cutters "DIKES"
>> anymore?  I've been doing it for years, but if it's going to
>> lose me some business I better start changing my ways.

[Tom G.]
>I guess you could call 'em "Nips". That might offend all women .... but you
>can still order nippers. I haven't seen a pair of dikes for sell in years
>and that's ok. I would much rather have my hands on nips than dikes
>anyway....:-) If you can buy dikes you can call 'em dikes!

Erum...all women and any Japanese customers!  Feh, it's all just words, say
watcha like.  Seriously, I think the offense from your original "dyke" faux
pas would be more a result of context than anything else.  Not to mention
the humor...I almost fell off my chair laughing!

My experience is that most people with alternative lifestyles are used to
dealing with uncomfortable situations and are not likely to be offended by a
casual mention, or even an occasional bad word or two.  My advice is to
explain the situation to 'em when they come back to pick the unit up.  Even
if it's awkward, chances are pretty good that they'd get a kick out of the
story and be relieved that you're not the insensitive bigot you might
otherwise appear to have been.

Chris