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.
‘bully pullpit’
Worst football cliche’—
“He’s running down hill”
What the ______ does that mean? They are playing on the side of a hill??? IN HE 2ND QUARTER, WILL THE OTHER TEAM GET TO GO “DOWN HILL” ???
Hey, Madden, Aikman, and all you other idiots!!!! THERE’S NO DOWNHILL ON A FOOTBALL FIELD!!!!
What is wrong with using the single word ... But?
"give us a chance to win" = "I'm a wussy pitcher who doesn't even think about a complete game and wanting to WIN the game, I just want to throw my 100 pitches and get into the 7th."
Athletic cliche that I despise - the color commentator sagely observing that a team or a player needs to find their “rhythm” - well duh - if you repeatedly throw 100 mph fastballs on the corners of the plate you’ll be successful or if you repeatedly throw the ball just over the shoulder of the WR streaking down the sideline.
One of my biggest pet peeves is that the term “gender,” once confined to the the world of linguistics, seems to be replacing ‘sex.”
...a lot more is said than done.
Shoulda. Coulda. Woulda.
Or "north to south."
“cachet” is getting some cachet, especially in places like Target
Spock...
That one makes me shudder as well.
When all is said and done, “at the end of the day” is basically the new “bottom line”.
I thought they already pulled out the pages looking for other ways to say "beat", as in "Team X _______ Team Y"...
“in lieu of” in lieu of “instead of”
“Hasn’t lost his fastball,” in non-baseball contexts.
I continue to be amazed at the never ending trivialization of “Amazing”.
L
...and everyone is a “hero”.
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