Removing keywords from multiple images when the keyword isn't in the list?

Question

So, I know that the method for removing a keyword from multiple images is to select the images, type the keyword in the inspector and press Shift-Return.
However, that doesn't seem to work if the keyword I want to remove is not in the keyword database (i.e. it's not in the keyword HUD).
For example, I deleted the iPhoto keyword group from the keyword HUD because I decided I didn't like that. I've got a bunch of photos that still have keywords like "Beach (iPhoto)". Typing "Beach" Shift-Return does nothing. Typing "Beach (iPhoto)" Shift-Return does nothing.
Adding an iPhoto group back to the HUD and a child keyword of Beach and then Typing "Beach" Shift-Return works, but I can't believe that's how it's supposed to work.
Is that the only way to do this? I've got a lot of those old iPhoto keywords to remove and that's going to be a major pain... there must be a better way.
PowerMac Dual G5 2.0   Mac OS X (10.4.6)  

Answer 1

I don't know if this will help you or not but it contains the roots of what you would need to script the removal of unwanted and unlisted keywords.
-- script begins
tell application "Aperture"
  -- set the target to the "Smart beetles" album at the top level of the library.
  tell album "Smart beetles" of folder ""
    -- get a list of the images in the album.
    set x to every image version
    -- move through the images one by one, deleting and creating the appropriate keywords
    repeat with i from 1 to x's length
      tell x's item i
        -- Note. if the keyword is top level, then the parents value is "".
        delete (every keyword whose name is "Australia" and parents is "Location")
        make new keyword with properties {name:"Sydney", parents:"Location"}
      end tell
    end repeat
  end tell
end tell
-- script ends