A Dirty Clue

43 Down: Scoundrel (7).

That was one of the clues in The New York Times crossword on Monday. And the answer, simply enough, was "scumbag". So why did the paper get "dozens of angry messages from readers, as well as complaints from colleagues on the staff"? Slate's Jesse Sheidlower tells all. (Hint: It has to do with a form of birth control.)