Semantics

In my game chat lobby the other day an argument of great proportions broke out. All over one silly, seemingly innocent, word.
One of the chat moderators was leaving the lobby after a small disagreement with a player. The Mod said she was leaving and followed it up with poof.
Now for most of us poof means to disappear, vanish, as a magician would make something go away. But one player, the one she had been arguing with was adamant that she had insulted him!
According to him, and a few other players living in Australia, the word poof does not mean to disappear. The word poof to them is slang for a homosexual person and the player demanded to know why the Mod had called him a homosexual as she was leaving.
It was incredibly hard for any of us, Mods and players alike, to keep a straight face and answer the accusation.
Even an Australian player said that she had not called anyone a homosexual and he even went so far as to paste the definition of poof in the lobby. Still the player that felt offended went on and on and on.
The matter was finally taken to the owner of the game site for clarification. His decision is that the word poof may still be used by anyone that wishes to use it as a means of saying good-bye.
Amazing how one little word could be so misconstrued and cause so much hostility and anger!