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.
You can never "completely decimate" anything. There will always be 90% of it left.
Oh well. It is what it is.
That should only be used in the format of “Worst. X. Ever.”
You’re a great American.
“Go yard” for hiting a home run. In 99 percent of stadiums, hitting a home run means putting the ball where there is no grass. Thus it should be something like “going non-yard”
Also anyone that has any disease whatsoever is “battling” said disease - “this game is made all the more meaningful as his mother is home in Ypsilanti Michigan battling herpes”.
How about:
Immigrant, entrant (dissolving the difference between legal and illegal immigrants, visitors, students)
undocumented worker, undocumented immigrant, undocumented entrant avoiding the one and only correct classification:
ILLEGAL ALIEN!
I absolutely hate that. I'd prefer that one would always be honest when speaking.
Ah yes, but will ‘08 be the new ‘07?
I actually like every one of these. They connect us to each other. We hear something and pass it along. That’s all.
I’m am now leaving to take cover behind a cyber rock.
Why thank you.
as opposed to harpies?
I would also like to dispose of “prequel,” which is not a real word. “Antecedent” is the proper term.
You’re a great American.
All in all, I see this thread is now bringing closure to another emotional year in the abusive of language. Counselors are converging and the healing process has begun.
no problame’
“They went out and they brought in a Ja’Dante Williams, they brought in a Kashante Davis, the kind of athletic, impact football players this football team needs to win football games.”
Oooh, yeah, that's a good one. Everytime I hear it, I always wonder if the person saying that statement also prefaces their lies with "I'm speaking dishonestly, here.".
But, to be honest, I use the term as well.
I continue to be amazed at the never ending trivialization of “Amazing”.
Every insipid celebrity in Hollywood uses the word “amazing” at least 200 times per day. What would they say if something amazing actually happened?
Related to this is the annoying trend in referring to computer systems and their associated software and hardware peripherals as "ecosystems".... /gaaah
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