Fire Billy Packer?

I think not. Fag, just because it is used as a derogatory comment here in the U.S. doesn't mean it is used that way elsewhere. It reminds me of a conversation with a friend of mine who grew up and lives just in Manchester England. Mark, who had just quit smoking, and I were talking of cigarettes to which he said they were called "fags" most commonly. He had to laugh when I told him it basically was only a derogatory gay remark here in the U.S.. He said, so you wouldn't say " I am going to go outside and have a couple of fags?" No, that would be bad. Interesting that it would be a word that one could get fired for in this extremely p.c. world of ours, but I guess that's the deal. He was using it to say "tire, or bail out on him" and it is very clearly in context.