Those blokes in London sure got their knickers in a twist off that cad Tiger.

During his CBS interview Sunday at the Masters, Tiger Woods explained his downfall by saying, ``Once I got on the green, I was a spaz.'' It went mostly without notice or comment stateside.

But over there . . .

``America's leading newspapers yesterday helped Tiger Woods evade controversy by ignoring his use of the word `spaz' to describe his poor putting in the final round of the Masters at Augusta,'' the London Telegraph wrote. The Telegraph noted that the New York Times and Washington Post avoided the word. The Los Angeles Times substituted ``wreck'' in parentheses, which does seem to be an acknowledgment that all was not kosher -- whoops, not proper -- with the word.

Other British papers have followed suit, and charities have also voiced their outrage, to the point that Woods' agent issued one of those sorry-if-anyone's-offended releases Tuesday (which one site highlighted with a headline blaring that Tiger was ``appalled'' by his actions, though that word was curiously absent).

What many Americans don't know, but something Britain is keenly aware of, is that the word derives from ``spastic,'' the most common form of cerebral palsy. In American slang, of course, it describes mere clumsiness or ineptitude. Even our dictionaries aren't clear. The American Heritage version labels ``spaz'' offensive slang; Webster's just calls it slang.

But it still packs a wallop in Britain. Others to find out recently were Cameron Diaz, who was criticized for referring to her awkward childhood as ``spastic,'' and an American company that marketed a wheelchair known as the Spazz.

BBC Radio sought the opinion of Dame Tanni Grey Thompson, a multiple gold medalist in the Paralympics.

``I don't think it is a nice word for anyone to use, but I think we get upset by terminology,'' she said. ``For example, in America, handicapped is an acceptable term, which it isn't here -- it's quite insulting.

``I thought it was a stupid comment, but I won't get upset by it because there are bigger battles to fight and I bet he won't say it again.''