It is, but it calling someone a muppet is an insult.

Well, I never heard of Ginger being taken the wrong way before.. I know someone on DA who is a Ginger and very proud of it.

I know in the States, it was offensive to call an African American person the 'N' word yet where I worked, they called each other it almost every day between themselves, yet if someone white used it jokingly, it was different story. Also Honky may be offensive.. it's the African American's term for a white person.

You can no longer call a person 'midget'.

Also I believe 'red-skinned' preferring to the Indians, may also now be taken offensive.

Plus you no longer can sing Ba ba black sheep.. :/ or so I have been told.. it's now Ba ba sheep..