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"Perfect storm" of cliches make bad English list
Reuters ^ | 12/31/07 | Andrew Stern

Posted on 12/31/2007 8:13:17 AM PST by ricks_place

A "surge" of overused words and phrases formed a "perfect storm" of "post-9/11" cliches in 2007, according to a U.S. university's annual list of words and phrases that deserve to be banned.

Choosing from among 2,000 submissions, the public relations department at Michigan's Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie targeted 19 affronts to the English language in its well-known jab at the worlds of media, sports, advertising and politics.

The contributors gave first prize to the phrase "a perfect storm," saying it was numbingly applied to virtually any notable coincidence.

"Webinar" made the list as a tiresome non-word combining Web and seminar that a contributor said "belongs in the same school of non-thought that brought us e-anything and i-anything."

Similarly, the list-makers complained about the absurd comparisons commonly phrased "x is the new y," as in "(age) 70 is the new 50" or "chocolate is the new sex." "Fallacy is the new truth," commented one contributor.

Some words and phrases sagged under the weight of overuse, contributors said, citing the application of "organic" to everything from computer software to dog food.

In the same vein, decorators offering to add "pop" with a touch of color need new words, the list-makers said.

Such phrases as "post 9/11" and "surge" have also outlived their usefulness, they said. Surge emerged in reference to adding U.S. troops in Iraq but has come to explain the expansion of anything.

Other contributors took umbrage at the phrase to "give back" as applied to charitable gestures, usually by celebrities.

"The notion has arisen that as one's life progresses, one accumulates a sort of deficit balance with society which must be neutralized by charitable works or financial outlays," one said.

"Back in the day" raised hackles for being applied to recent trends rather than historical events.

Other teenage linguistic indiscretions such as the often meaningless use of "random" and "sweet" raised the ire of list-makers, as did the pointless "it is what it is."

Reporters were chided for skipping out on detail by describing an event or parting as "emotional," and for misapplying "decimate" when they mean annihilate or destroy, not the word's true meaning of to lose a fraction.

Sports announcers were urged to drop "throw under the bus" when assigning blame to a player. "It is a call for the media to start issuing a thesaurus to everyone in front of a camera," a contributor said.

And finally, any self-respecting writer would groan at being labeled a "wordsmith" who engages in "wordsmithing," the list-makers said.


TOPICS: Editorial; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: enemedia; language; mediawar; usefulidiots
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The media minimizes the Islamic threat.
1 posted on 12/31/2007 8:13:18 AM PST by ricks_place
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To: ricks_place

Ban “on average” and “uva” as in “that big uva tree”.


2 posted on 12/31/2007 8:18:40 AM PST by RoadTest (Free Compean and Ramos now! Then exonerate them. Then shame their persecutors!)
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To: ricks_place; mikrofon; martin_fierro; Tijeras_Slim; dead; dighton
Sports talk cliche of the year: "do their due diligence."

But that's just how I roll.

3 posted on 12/31/2007 8:19:19 AM PST by Charles Henrickson (At the end of the day.)
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To: ricks_place

That is so random!


4 posted on 12/31/2007 8:19:23 AM PST by null and void (Don't taunt the tiger...)
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To: RoadTest

And “bottom line”!


5 posted on 12/31/2007 8:19:57 AM PST by RoadTest (Free Compean and Ramos now! Then exonerate them. Then shame their persecutors!)
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To: ricks_place

I nominate “fire in the belly”.


6 posted on 12/31/2007 8:21:27 AM PST by SlowBoat407 (Just how will wrecking the U.S. economy save the planet?)
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To: ricks_place

SIV, CDO, etc...


7 posted on 12/31/2007 8:21:35 AM PST by dakine
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To: ricks_place
The media minimizes the Islamic threat

DING DING DING!!! FreeRepublic non-sequitur of the day!

8 posted on 12/31/2007 8:21:46 AM PST by martin gibson ("I care not what course others may take, but as for myself, give me Ralph Stanley or give me death")
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To: ricks_place

Overdone. Stylistic. Device.


9 posted on 12/31/2007 8:22:03 AM PST by Charles Henrickson (Period.)
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To: All

How can we forget “At the end of the day....” as part of this list?


10 posted on 12/31/2007 8:22:44 AM PST by awakened (Remember -- There are no dead atheists.)
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To: SlowBoat407

Another phrase I don’t want to see carried over into 2008:

“I’m Hillary Clinton, and I approved this message”.


11 posted on 12/31/2007 8:23:01 AM PST by SlowBoat407 (Just how will wrecking the U.S. economy save the planet?)
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To: null and void

It is what it is.


12 posted on 12/31/2007 8:23:09 AM PST by Charles Henrickson (Tautology.)
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To: ricks_place

Oh snap!

(Think I might if I hear it again)


13 posted on 12/31/2007 8:23:25 AM PST by Dysart
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To: awakened
How can we forget “At the end of the day....” as part of this list?

I didn't. See tagline on #3.

But "at the end of the day" is so 2006.

14 posted on 12/31/2007 8:24:41 AM PST by Charles Henrickson (Totally.)
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To: ricks_place

‘’adrenaline rush’’


15 posted on 12/31/2007 8:25:36 AM PST by Lexington Green (There ain't no news in the news no more.)
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To: SlowBoat407
I nominate “fire in the belly”.

I'll second that! It's this election cycle's gravitas.

16 posted on 12/31/2007 8:26:32 AM PST by SuziQ
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To: ricks_place

I agree that “surge” is overused. I have never seen this word being used so extensively and in all imaginable contexts since January 2007.


17 posted on 12/31/2007 8:26:58 AM PST by SolidWood (Al Gore: "I have never heard of this, but I think it is a very good idea,")
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To: Charles Henrickson

“at the end of the day” is the new “”bottom line”


18 posted on 12/31/2007 8:27:01 AM PST by SlowBoat407 (Just how will wrecking the U.S. economy save the planet?)
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To: Charles Henrickson
Can’t stand the sports announcers describing a player’s “skill set”. And the Entertainment Tonight crowd gushing over the latest Hollywood “baby bump” is going to make me kill myself if I hear it one more time (my wife watches that junk, and I’m forced to sit through it too much!).
19 posted on 12/31/2007 8:27:34 AM PST by SoCal Pubbie
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To: SlowBoat407

When all is said and done.


20 posted on 12/31/2007 8:28:04 AM PST by Charles Henrickson (More is said than done.)
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