Time for Some New Clichés: Banished Words for 2007
Lake Superior State University has released its annual List of Banished Words: 16 worn-out, misused, and generally worthless words and expressions drawn from more than 4,500 nominations.
In the context of classified ads, the verb "boasts" has been banished, so that houses may no longer boast fire places, quadruple garages, or euro-style garden sanctuaries. Also on the list is the adjective/interjection "awesome," a word divested of all meaning, according to our calculations, some time around the summer of 1989. Likewise, the expressions "ask your doctor," "now playing in theaters," and "we're pregnant" have been exiled on the grounds that they're simply annoying.
The one word on the list that might come as a surprise is "truthiness"--selected just last month by Merriam-Webster as the Word of the Year. According to one voter, Stephen Colbert's "truthiness" is already used up: "What used to ring true is getting all the truth wrung out of it."
Whether the 16 banished words and phrases are the most deserving is open to debate. What's certain is that these latest clichés have plenty of company. In the words of Samuel Goldwyn, "Let's have some new clichés."
RELATED: Cliché Sites for Writers and Editors.
Comments
Mmmmm!
Is this English
Pat in rural England UK
Pat–Yes, indeed. Like “oops,” “ouch!” and “ugh,” “Mmmmm!” is an interjection. That’s a word (usually all by itself rather than part of a sentence) that expresses an emotion. “Mmmmm!” is the kind of English that I like to use at the dinner table. - Richard
It’s been around for a while, but the word I really want to exterminate is “issue” used in place of “problem”.
For me, an issue is a subject which needs a decision. “Where should we eat tonight?”
A “problem” arises when the food at chosen restaurant is totally inedible. When the chef calls that an “issue”, I have a sudden urge to toss the food at him!
I want to ban everyone from handing me something and than saying ENJOY! Even in diners where the food is so so an uninterested waitress will say that as well as some pretty upscale restaurants. Cannot tell you how many times I have reduced the tips if the rest of the service followed in the same vain.
5. Are you “pro-active” or “con-active?” Is “active” required? What if you don’t “active” but remain “pro.” Is there an “pro-penalty” or are you “anti-penalty?” How do you “activate” or “inactivate?”
Are you “in” or “out?” Where are you?
George, the ‘pro’ in pro-active doesn’t mean ‘for’ (as in ‘pro or con’), it means ‘before’ (as in ‘progenitor’). Someone who is being ‘pro-active’ is taking action *before* an issue becomes a problem.
I’ll agree that ‘pro-active’ is annopying, but I hear and see it mostly in managerial jargon, not so much in regular speech or writing.
George, the ‘pro’ in pro-active doesn’t mean ‘for’ (as in ‘pro or con’), it means ‘before’ (as in ‘progenitor’). Someone who is being ‘pro-active’ is taking action *before* an issue becomes a problem.
I’ll agree that ‘pro-active’ is annoying, but I hear and see it mostly in managerial jargon, not so much in regular speech or writing.
More power (yeah, I know, that’s a cliche too) to the banned list - now if people could only learn to spell & pronounce! I swear, a PBS commentator last week spoke of someone being honored “post (as in fence) -humus (as in human) -ly” and a local motel advertised “Budget Rats” Maybe Professor Higgins had it right!
Finally, someone agrees with me about awesome. When someone described my potato salad as ‘awesome’ I almost choked on it.
The heavens, nature, birth are awesome….my potato salad is edible.
Another word that should be at restricted is “like”. It seems that in daily conversation it is every other word.
It is maddening.
In my previous post, I committed a typo. What I intended was: Another word that should be restricted”
I think an issue is something which has to be considered or addressed (ex: the pros and cons of doing something). A solution is not necessarily involved. A problem, on the other hand, suggests something negative which requires a solution. I wonder if the use of “issue” is an attempt to sound more positive or neutral?
Pauline, I agree 100% with your “issue” comment. It trivializes what others may regard as a catastrophy.
What makes me see red is, for example, when a nameless techie refers to my ISP cable service suddenly going down for hours or days as an “issue”! Maybe an issue for him, but a major problem for me…
I also agree 100%. Sometimes I agree just 60% but I don’t call that a disagreement. I call that a percentage.
1) Get rid of “firstly” and “secondly” and replace with the correct “first” and “second”. 2) “People protested against the new tax increase.” - get rid of the “against”. 3) “The game starts in two hours.”, “The game starts two hours from now.” But NOT “The game starts in two hours from now.”