Macaca? Mohawk? Here’s the Big Hairy Deal

This week, after Sen. George Allen called his oppo­nen­t’s staffer Maca­ca, a con­tro­ver­sy brewed. What does the word mean? Is it demean­ing? Or worse yet — French? But amid the apol­o­gy and recrim­i­na­tions, a mys­tery has emerged regard­ing coiffure.