Posted on 01/02/2011 6:47:58 AM PST by speciallybland
This story might be epic, and could even go viral, but not if Lake Superior State University has anything to do with it. Just sayin.'
The small college in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, released on Friday its annual list of "banished words" -- terms so overused, misused and hackneyed they deserve to be sent to a permanent linguistic trash can in the year ahead.
"Viral," often used to describe the rapid spreading of videos or other content over the Internet, leads the list for 2011.
"This linguistic disease of a term must be quarantined," Kuahmel Allah of Los Angeles said in making a nomination.
Runners-up included "epic" and "fail," often twinned to describe a blunder of monumental proportions.
A total of 14 words were on the list.
Cliched terms such as "wow factor," "a-ha moment," "back story" and "BFF" (Best Friends Forever) rated highly. The very au courant use of "Facebook" and "Google" as verbs got a thumbs down as well.
As usual, election-cycle zingers and catchwords quickly look as worn out as last year's campaign posters.
In that vein, voters suggested the banning of "Mama Grizzlies," used to describe right-wing female politicians in the mold of Sarah Palin, and "man up," famously used by Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sharon Angle in a testy debate with Democrat Harry Reid and a favorite Palin expression as well.
"A stupid phrase when directed at men. Even more stupid when directed at a woman, as in 'Alexis, you need to man up and join that Pilates class!'" said Sherry Edwards of Clarkston, Michigan.
Previous winners and nominees include the terms "shovel ready" for 2010, "battleground states" for 2005, "24/7" for 2000 and "family values" for 1995.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Annoying.
They say that the phrase “American people” needs to be trashed also. Welcome to our American education system.
I do have words on my list that annoy me, but I was listening to this on Fox and Friends this morning and it occurred to me; what sort of group or people decide for the rest of us what words should be banned? Seems the height of self importance to decide that because they are tired of a word of phrase it is worthy of the trash heap.
For instance, I think the use of sammy for sandwich is infantile. On the other hand, when I hear an adult use it, it also tells me something useful about them. :)
“progressive”.
when they’re going backwards,
it’s hard to imagine progress in the making.
I nominate “sustainable” and “climate change.”
What will happen to Epic Bearded Man?
Letting Leftists Limit Language
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/09/letting_leftists_limit_languag.html
Sometimes bastardizing the English language to make a point is effective. For instance, I like the contraction of the word government (gub’ment) when speaking of people who have become dependent upon taxpayer money to meet their basic needs.
How about “green”. Every time I hear that, I want to vomit green.
"at the end of the day"
"focus like a laser"
How about “empower” and “liberal”?
10 Words I’m tired of Hearing
http://blog.pappastax.com/index.php/2010/12/10/ten-words-im-tired-of-hearing/
The word most in need of being consigned to the trash heap is “diversity”. But if that happened, these academic sorts would be unable to speak for more than fifteen seconds without becoming confounded and tongue-tied.
How Liberals Use Words to Hide Their True Intent
http://floridapundit.com/2010/09/how-liberals-use-words-to-hide-their-true-intent/
As a child I noticed some folks very dear to me, used the pronounciation "gub'ment". They also said "ink-em tax".
I remember noticing my own sense of fondness and appreciation for President Reagan when I heard him use the same while he was Governor.
I don't think I had much use for politicians before that.
How about ¨moderate muslim¨?
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