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Spoiler alert: This story contains words and phrases that some people want to ban from the English language. "Spoiler alert" is among them. So are "kick the can down the road," "trending" and "bucket list."
A dirty dozen have landed on the 38th annual List of Words to be Banished from the Queen's English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness. The nonbinding, tongue-in-cheek decree released Monday by northern Michigan's Lake Superior State University is based on nominations submitted from the United States, Canada and beyond.
"Spoiler alert," the seemingly thoughtful way to warn readers or viewers about looming references to a key plot point in a film or TV show, nevertheless passed its use-by date for many, including Joseph Foly, of Fremont, Calif. He argued in his submission the phrase is "used as an obnoxious way to show one has trivial information and is about to use it, no matter what."
At the risk of further offense, here's another spoiler alert: The phrase receiving the most nominations this year is "fiscal cliff," banished because of its overuse by media outlets when describing across-the-board federal tax increases and spending cuts that economists say could harm the economy in the new year without congressional action.
"You can't turn on the news without hearing this," said Christopher Loiselle, of Midland, Mich., in his submission. "I'm equally worried about the River of Debt and Mountain of Despair."
Other terms coming in for a literary lashing are "superfood," "guru," "job creators" and "double down."
University spokesman Tom Pink said that in nearly four decades, the Sault Ste. Marie school has "banished" around 900 words or phrases, and somehow the whole idea has survived rapidly advancing technology and diminishing attention spans.
Nominations used to come by mail, then fax and via the school's website, he said. Now most come through the university's Facebook page. That's fitting, since social media has helped accelerate the life cycle of certain words and phrases, such as this year's entry "YOLO" — "you only live once."
"The list surprises me in one way or another every year, and the same way every year: I'm always surprised how people still like it, love it," he said.
Rounding out the list are "job creators/creation," "boneless wings" and "passion/passionate." Those who nominated the last one say they are tired of hearing about a company's "passion" as a substitute for providing a service or product for money.
Andrew Foyle, of Bristol, England, said it's reached the point where "passion" is the only ingredient that keeps a chef from preparing "seared tuna" that tastes "like dust swept from a station platform."
"Apparently, it's insufficient to do it ably, with skill, commitment or finesse," Foyle said. "Passionate, begone!"
As usual, the etymological exercise — or exorcise — only goes so far. Past lists haven't eradicated "viral," "amazing," "LOL" or "man cave" from everyday use.
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Leave a Comment:
this is very stupid for banning these words.
They haven't actually been banned... Just a small university's quest for attention....
BTW, it's not surprising that Americans don't want to be bothered with things like "fiscal cliff", since the vast majority of us don't know what it means.... It will become more apparent come Jan 1 when the average family's taxes go up $200-$400 a MONTH. (Yeah, that's right)..... Then everyone will be saying, "Hey, how come no one told us about this!"
you get it Bruce.
But then it becomes "Blame Game" and little facts like barry instructing Ried to put it together and telling pelosi to work togetherand get it done... will become "those obstructionist's in the house"...watch it happen right here.
Bruce, the dirty little secret that nobody has said anything about yet is that, for most people, there is no fiscal cliff on January 1. Most of the "middle class" that everyone is so strident about taking care of doesn't pay taxes until March or April. That means that Congress has three months to take care of people like you (I assume) and I. The only people getting dinged on January 1 are those so rich that they pay taxes monthly and ...... oh, yeah ...... government employees.
What about banning the term 'pay their fair share?'
how about % 'er
I formally would like to add banning the words Democrat and Republican from all future use.
Lets not only replace the words but the titles...Lawyer, Barrister, Counsel, and Attorney with the simple Official Title of...."Sleazeball"....as well
not to be confused with the official title "Slime-ball" which has always been naturally associated with and earned by Politician's.
"Undocumented immigrant", be real they are illegal aliens, a rose by any other name is still a rose...
Angela LD,Your post is the best one yet.
HI Angela, Hi "just a",
Why don't we call them "the people that do the work that none else wants to do, but still needs to be done
exploited, necessary and abused masses"?
Or, better yet, "the people who line up to come here to be exploited and who do the work we used to do, but now won't do because the abused masses are willing to do it for so much less."
I guess you were wrong... They passed "the deal", and my take home pay will be over $150 a month less (payroll tax increase from what it was). That's $150 less I will have to pump into the economy, and there are hundreds of thousands of "me's" out there who will be spending $150 a month less....
All from a president who promised us (when running) that "No one making less than $250,000 a year will pay a dime more in taxes. Not one dime." Well, I guess it WASN'T one dime, was it? It's more like EIGHTEEN THOUSAND dimes a year more.... Technically, he didn't lie!
Because they don't do work American's aren't willing to do, they do work American's aren't willing to do for crap wages and no benefits or a radically reduced wage with no benefits (which would not be that way if they were not here). Who do you think did those jobs long before we had the illegal alien invasion...all our entry level jobs have been taken over by them, so our kids and uneducated (means didn't graduate high school) can't find jobs anymore.
For the record, My grandfather (fathers Dad) picked the harvest during the depression and supported his entire family, including parents, siblings and grandparents...so even that is a moot point.
I think Mr Foly doesn't understand what "spoiler alert" actually means. I think it's highly useful and there is no reason it should EVEr go out of use. When involved in some discussion about a fictitious story, spoiler alert serves to tell others that the following statements may reveal the surprise that others may not have read/watched yet. Those who have read/seen the story can safely proceed, those who have not can skip the posting and save the surprise for the actual fictitious work.
lib - the term was not banned for its intended use, but for its overuse. Brainless twittwitts use it in the following context when speaking with someone...
"I was blah, blah, blah, SPOILER ALERT!!!, I had a bagel for breakfast this morning, blah, blah, blah."
How about "app"?! Sick and tired of hearing app, there's an app for this and an app for that.........Grrrrrr
OMG
gm Tramp
I have invented an app that manages all my apps. The final step, after a discussion with the Spanish barber, is to decide whether or not my app manages itself.
GM Bill.
Gotta go pretty quick stores close at noon, and i got a hankering for somethin different for supper so...
"App" was banished on a previous list. The LSSU webpage has several years' worth of hackneyed, overused phrases that were banished. I think these people are brilliant, especially because they used one of my comments this year!
"Meme" must go!
Can someone tell me at what point something "goes viral"?
When you've seen it so many times it makes you feel sick ;)
I am sooo tired hearing 'going forward'.
"uh"....well "uh"...
Tramp -
You, sir, seem to have lost some of your "gravitas!" (Contrats!)
My nomination: "Going foward" (the misspelling is intentional as that is how many pronounce it.)
Not only is it bad grammer, but what is wrong with the old term, 'from now on'?
Ironic that you criticize grammar, yet cannot spell "grammar"
CET - Grammar and speling (couldn't resist) are not the same thing...
Do not syntax forget.
I have the syntax forgottn knot...
YOLO. We already have a phrase for that: Carpe Diem.
LOL OMG
how about new words to replace "awesome" and "amazing" ?
monnie---can't agree more -everything and everybody is "awesome" and "amazing". These words have lost thier meanings--
Good idea, we can replace awesome with..Kate Upton...and cover both the words amasing and stupid with the simple word Joe.
Oddly enough, as annoying "job creation/creators" is. We still need jobs created :P
no problem...we will put a new "czar" right on it.......( well on the numbers spin anyway)
I say we ban the words:
Just for starters...
"That being said" should be banned.
Or it's idiot cousin "To name's point..." as a way of putting someone else on your side of the argument whether they want to be there or not. I hear this in the boardroom constantly. "To John's point, we should blah blah blah blah...."
"Baby Bump" - Please just go away!
I hate that term. Also please ban magazine of covers showing such.
as well as any article / magazine mentioning the word " Kardashian"...
That was on last years' list. I hate that word, too.
This article sounds like a bunch of MALARKEY to me. Dont these people have anything better to do. LOL
Watch the other hand.
Typical Lib response to every thing they don't wish to hear. ....."Ban it"
and the repubs want to ban everything they don't personally like.
gay marriage, abortions, anything not christian. poor people
Typical moronic Republican response--accuse liberals of doing that which Republicans are busy doing or trying to do (banning things, in this case).
Sorry to bust your bubbles boys but I'm an independent.
You may however wish to just ban the word .....FACT....rather then simply ignore it.. be simpler eh?
Typical brainless right-wing response - seeing boogeymen behind every tree and not really understanding the conversation or it's context.
You do realize that this is list is all in fun, they've been doing it for over 30 years, and these words are not actually banned and there's nothing actually stopping you from using them.
Why is this a liberal response? How about it's more of "I'm so sick and tired of hearing this" from all sides? I'm going to scratch my head in confusion.
@Arcturus, the genitive expression for the pronoun "it" is "its," not "it's."
"It's" is a contraction for "it is."
Now, go ahead and talk about brainless right-wing attitudes, you illiterate prole.
"Comprised of...." Ugh. This is just grammatical garbage.
ban
"undocumented workers"
both ways.
Does anyone else see the irony here?
A site that spins and manipulates the English language to put a positive spin on every thing Barry does, yet they are posting this?
Get over yourself. You couldn't look at a balanced viewpoint without accusing it of being a leftist spin fantasy. I suppose you're a big fan of the "fair and balanced" lie factory that is Faux News.
The term 'Faux News' should be part of this list. I hardly even watch TV anyway, most of it's crap propaganda and consumerism disguised as news or entertainment.
LetsBeRational - Get over yourself. Conservatives are exactly as "fair and balanced" as liberals are. Neither political group lets the truth get in the way of a good story and believes in this delusional fantasy that their position is "balanced".
If we are going to "move foward" we should at least acknowledge that we are all lying through our teeth.
Try to be rational,
when was the last time you seen ANY negative press on here concerning your boy Barry? oh and i don't have cable so no fox news. And although he told Ried to send a bill to the house and Pelosi to work with them...still no Bill......WHY? ....oh that's right we will forget those little FACTS and focus on those pesky "obstructionist's " in the house, who simply refuse to give Barry a blank check or make the government live within their budget just like AMERICANS do. ...watch and see. You do relise spending more devalues the dollar right? ...opps that's those pesky " speculators" driving up the price of gas as well as everything else right? try a basic economics course.
No, but I do see a paranoid and prolific screamer named Scooter Tramp.
@Arcturus, Demolibs are as paranoid as anyone.
frnbfsvjnusvjsfbv ibeffrkunukf!
That is all I heard.
", just saying" That's a really annoying one. Ban that one.
that one?.... which one?... just or saying?.....Not picking on you here im just sayin.....
Thank you Frijoles. I'm really irritated with "Just saying." Obviously you're just saying it, otherwise you would;ve kept your mouths shut.
When someone says to me, "I'm just sayin," I reply with, "I'm just ignoring you, you common, poorly-spoken waste of linguistic evolution."
What does YOYO mean, yo I had to make up some stupid term to describe selling drugs.
'Fiscal Cliff' was made up by that scaremonger and bankster Ben Bernanke.
YOLO ..or YOYO ....?
Dont matter I'm pretty sure neither are words they are both female names .....and guess where you will find her.
Please ban/stop using/forget you ever heard it,,"at the end of the day"
Remember when it was "bottom line"? I believe that made the list several years ago, as well.
flyboy,Bottom line was popular with the other phrase,team building.The telephone company loved those phrases.Our co-workers became our team and we had to do team building exercises by sensitivity trainers.