A Boston sports radio talk show host is under fire for using an ethnic slur to describe ESPN personality Mina Kimes.

During a segment on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show" on Wednesday, co-hosts Greg Hill, Jermaine Wiggins and Courtney Cox were discussing their "top five nips" as the Boston City Council prepares to discuss a possible ban on "nips" – small liquor bottles – because they are too small to be recycled and are often littered.

Skrewball, Dr. McGillicuddy’s and Fireball were named, when executive producer and on-air personality Chris Curtis interjected, "I'd probably go Mina Kimes," with a smile. The other co-hosts continued on.

Nip is an ethnic slur against people of Japanese descent and origin, according to Michael M. Ego, a Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Connecticut. Kimes, born in Omaha, Nebraska, is of Korean descent.   

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In a statement to USA TODAY Sports, ESPN called the comments "uncalled for and extremely offensive," adding, "there is no place for these type of hateful comments."

Audacy, WEEI’s parent company, told The Boston Globe that Curtis was trying to reference actress Mila Kunis, instead of Kimes. In response, Kimes changed her Twitter profile picture to one of Kunis.

On Thursday, Curtis apologized and announced he was suspended until Wednesday.

"In a pathetic failed attempt at a one liner, I attempted to bring up Mila Kunis, which was not really that funny, sophomoric and sexist," Curtis said on The Greg Hill Show. "But for reasons I really don't understand, I said Mina Kimes. That was never the intention for me to say her name. It had nothing to do with the subject matter, and it dragged her into a controversy through no fault of her own regarding a slur and her race and that was not at all what my intention was, but it doesn't matter because of the absolute chaos my words created for someone who's just doing her job covering the NFL at ESPN.

"So I want to apologize to Mina Kimes, I want to apologize for the stupid, lame attempt at a joke. It was something that there's just really no other way to put it ... it was dumb and it was silly.

Kimes hasn't publicly responded to Curtis' comments. 

Audacy didn't immediately return USA TODAY Sports' request for comment.