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.
Athleticism.
I nominate Billy Mayes...the new Ron Popiel...AAAAAACCCK!
This government is “handicapping” people for 3 generations!
“sucking all the oxygen out of”
“But “at the end of the day” is so 2006.”
“Is so” belongs on the list.
That's at the top of my list.
That is so California 1991.
“remarkable”
I’d like to pass a law against “ginormous” (pronounced jye-normous). It’s not even a real word!! It is so overused by those trying to sound hip.
Our very masculine governor (J. Napolitano) and her FeminNazi political peers/media sycophants use “ginormous” on a regular basis.
“It’s hot”
Makes me want to scream every time I hear it.
What irritates me in current sports talk is the new way to express the plural of the baseball stat RBI. Over decades of common usage the abbreviation RBI (runs batted in) has become a noun itself. The sentence “Derek Jeter has 114 RBIs†is thus acceptable. But now extra intelligent sports news readers show their superior knowledge by saying “Derek Jeter has 114 RBIâ€. It doesn’t sound right.
"impact bat"
One thing I’ve gotten tired of hearing lately is, “Having said that,...”, or “That being said,...”. Way overused.
I’m glad someone submitted, “It is what it is”. Ugh!
Thanks for posting.
“I nominate Billy Mayes”
Totally agree!!! Why is Billy Mayes now in EVERY infomercial on TV? And why does he scream instead of talk?!? Bad dye job on the beard and hair, too. LOL.
I hate when people say “Irregardless”-drives me nuts.
“Having said that...”
That’s got to be one of the most overused cliches of the past few years.
I'll second that! It's this election cycle's gravitas.
Absolutely. All in favor?..
‘on the day’ rather than ‘for the day’.
‘It’s all about...’
empower
At this moment in time...
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