What do "Gitmo," "awesome" and "we're pregnant" have in common? They
should all be banned!

So say the guardians of the English language, whose day jobs are at Lake
Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. This group
annually takes on the role of word police by collecting a list of words
and phrases that we have used so much they have become annoying. The
solution? Ban them!

This is what they do--in the university's own official-speak: "Every New
Year's Day since 1976 the university has issued an annual 'List of Words
Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use or General
Uselessness' compiled from nominations sent from all over the world,
covering all manner of word or phraseology which some consider to be
worthy of exile. For more than a quarter-century our list has rooted out
grammatical subterfuge at the source. Doublespeak and sloppy talk
continue to flourish. Now is not the time to drop our guard."

Here are the 16 banned words and phrases on the 2007 list that were
winnowed down from some 4,500 entries:

1. Gitmo: The U.S. military's shorthand for a base in Cuba drives a
wedge wider than a split infinitive.

2. Combined Celebrity Names: Celebrity duos of yore--BogCall (Bogart and
Bacall), Lardy (Laurel and Hardy), and CheeChong (Cheech and
Chong)--just got lucky. It's bad enough that celebrities have to be the
top news stories. Now we've given them obnoxious names such as
"Brangelina," "TomKat" and "Bennifer."

3. Awesome: Sneakers are not "awesome." The word will be banished until
such time as it can once again mean "fear mingled with admiration or
reverence; a feeling produced by something majestic."

4. Gone/Went Missing: It makes "missing" sound like a place you can
visit, such as the Poconos. It should be "is missing" or "was missing."

5. PWN or PWNED: This word is just an overly used Internet typo. Among
online gamers, it means to soundly defeat an opponent, but it has been
overused to the point that people who play those online games are now
using it in everyday speech.

6. Now Playing in Theaters: Heard in movie advertisements. After all,
how often do movies premiere in Laundromats or shoe stores?

7. We're Pregnant: Grounded for nine months. Any woman who has given
birth will tell you that "WE" did not deliver the baby.

8. Undocumented Alien: If they haven't followed the law to get here,
they are by definition "illegal." It's like saying a drug dealer is an
"undocumented pharmacist."

9. Armed Robbery Gone Bad/Drug Deal Gone Bad: From news reports. What
degree of "bad" don't we understand?

10. Truthiness: Popularized by "The Colbert Report," this word that used
to ring true is getting all the truth wrung out of it.

11. Ask Your Doctor: The chewable vitamin morphine of marketing.

12. Chipotle: Before 2005, it was a roasted jalapeno. Now we have a
"chipotle" burrito with "chipotle" marinated meat, "chipotle" peppers,
sprinkled with a "chipotle" seasoning and smothered in a "chipotle"
sauce. Time to give this word a rest.

13. i-Anything: "e-Anything" made the list in 2000.

14. Search: Might as well banish it. The word has been replaced by
"Google."

15. Healthy Food: The correct terminology is "healthful food."

16. Boasts: Used in the real estate classifieds, as in "master bedroom
boasts his-and-her fireplaces." What's next? "The bathroom apologizes
for cracked linoleum."

--From the Editors at Netscape

number 16 is by far the best one i figure. oops figure i had seen on
that list 8 or 9 years ago. my bad. joe1973

They missed: 24/7
I am so SICK of hearing THAT!

Can I borrow this text? Would like to post it on a blog...

I think number 9 gets my vote as "bad language" on the list. SOOO
stupid. Armed Robbery and Drug Deal would suffice. Both ARE bad so why
the redundancy?

Also, numbers 7 & 8 are right up there.

I would take number 3 off the list as I have been trying to stop saying
that word for years and cannot seem to break the habit! lol.

I also think "Dude" should BE on the list as that is another word that I
cannot stop saying and it annoys the snot out of my son for me to call
him "Dude". yeesh.

Verb

I think the worst word a man can hear is "Whatever".. If you hear that you are already in the doghouse.

I look forward to this list every year.

Words are so much fun.

It's too bad most people have such limited vocabularies these days. Worse yet text messages and gamer speak have minimized written communication.

Although I admit as a gamer I find myself saying pwn now and then. Where would we be with afk, lol or pita?

For those that don't recognize those terms.

afk= away from keys
lol= laugh out loud
pita= pain in the a$$

English is a great adventure. Oh, for those that like the subject I'd suggest checking out the PBS series called The Story of English. Good stuff! I think there's a book as well.

More news on words.


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Nothing to get excited about: The indifferent 'meh' gains place in English dictionary

By JILL LAWLESS | Associated Press Writer
7:23 PM EST, November 16, 2008

LONDON (AP) _ At least someone is excited about "meh."

The expression of indifference or boredom has gained a place in the Collins English Dictionary after generating a surprising amount of enthusiasm among lexicographers.

Publisher HarperCollins announced Monday the word had been chosen from terms suggested by the public for inclusion in the dictionary's 30th anniversary edition, to be published next year.

The origins of "meh" are murky, but the term grew in popularity after being used in a 2001 episode of "The Simpsons" in which Homer suggests a day trip to his children Bart and Lisa.

"They both just reply 'meh' and keep watching TV," said Cormac McKeown, head of content at Collins Dictionaries.

The dictionary defines "meh" as an expression of indifference or boredom, or an adjective meaning mediocre or boring. Examples given by the dictionary include "the Canadian election was so meh."

The dictionary's compilers said the word originated in North America, spread through the Internet and was now entering British spoken English.

"This is a new interjection from the U.S. that seems to have inveigled its way into common speech over here," McKeown said. "Internet forums and e-mail are playing a big part in formalizing the spellings of vocal interjections like these. A couple of other examples would be 'hmm' and 'heh.'

"Meh" was selected by Collins after it asked people to submit words they use in conversation that are not in the dictionary. Other suggestions included jargonaut, a fan of jargon; frenemy, an enemy disguised as a friend; and huggles, a hybrid of hugs and snuggles.

i think banning should be banned

it is overbearing and annoying

Thank God someone said it! I love that word... it's been bastardazed so much it's not funny. In my honest opinion, "awesome" is a perfect example of how nothing is truly "awesome" or "breathtaking" or "awe-inspiring" or... well anything that causes major emotional response at all... anymore. If shoes are truly awesome, we have fallen so much farther as a people than any Robert McCammon novel ever dreamed.



I am SO using "undocumented pharmacist!" Oh wait... maybe I shouldn't. Someone will get it into their head it's not a joke but, indeed, the truth... I don't wanna know what kinds of legal haberdashery would be created from that kind of "encouraged" ignorance. Yeesh!



It's called redundant. I wonder how many people know what THAT means anymore?



I have to totally agree with this, actually. It's a perfectly alliterated word for its definition, and while I hate the bastardizing of any established words, I'm all for new words to help energize and enliven the English language. Especially those that work so well.