Comment from VLS
Time: December 31, 2006, 1:24 pm

I can’t believe “chillax” didn’t make the list. Maybe it’s too new, but it’s one of the more heinous combinations of words that I’ve encountered. It sounds like something a serial killer would do with his weapons. Or like nails raked down a chalk board.

Comment from Jim Turner
Time: December 31, 2006, 2:17 pm

I’m sorry, but I have to disagree with several of your words.

“Gitmo” is just an example of embedded reoprters sanctifying army talk. Like “collateral damage” for a house-ful of bomb-mutilated women and children, “assets” for un-armored hummers, and “rendered” for pulling fingernails out with pliers. Every army-speak word ought to be first translated into English.

“Showing in Theaters” is just a way to differentiate new from “Own it today” releases that you can buy at video stores, and are equally heavily hyped. How else would you make the distinction?

“Gone Missng”. How else would you say “Sometime during the weekend she went missing”. Which tense of the verb ‘’to be’ would you use? Either the verb ‘to go’ or ‘to become’ seems imperative to convey the idea that on Friday she was not missing, and on Monday she was, and there’s nothing wrong with the shorter word.

“Ask your doctor” is what you have to do first in order to get a Rx for “fill in the blank’. “Tell your doctor” would be a better choice. “Tell your doctor if you have liver disease”. See if he acts surprised.

Sorry—it’s a poor list this year.

Comment from Joe
Time: December 31, 2006, 2:46 pm

As this place seems to be a veritable wallowing hole for irritating pedants, i thought I’d add some of my own pedantry:

As “List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness” is the title, one would suppose that the words appearing on the list would belong to ‘The Queen’s English’. In actuality, “Truthiness”; “Undocumented Alien”; “Gitmo”; and the excessive use of “awesome” and “combined celebrity names”, are all features of that disgrace the Microsoft oxymoron department calls: “U.S. English”, and not of the Queen’s English in any way, shape or form. Americans abandoned the claim to “the Queen’s” anything over two hundred years ago and as such can only blame themselves for the degenerate nature of their language today.

By the way, for such a pedants’ haven, using the word ‘bannished’ on this - a page about the misuse of language is somewhat ironic. And to Andrea May of Shreveport, Louisiana: yes, i would consider movies to be shown in equal likelihood at laundromats and shoe-SHOPS as in theaters because as any halfwit knows: FILMS (not that apocraphyllic word “movie”) are shown at CINEMAS and theaters are for an entirely different art form altogether.

Comment from John
Time: December 31, 2006, 4:46 pm

Note the last definition of boast. This definition is consistent with the use in real estate listings

from reference.com

American Heritage Dictionary

boast

(other entries removed)

v. tr.

To speak of with excessive pride.
To possess or own (a desirable feature): “[the] capital of a region in the southeast that boasts bountiful coal fields” (US Air).
To contain; have.

Comment from Jeff Lobdell
Time: December 31, 2006, 5:49 pm

The term “Gitmo” has been around the military for a LONG time, and it is the use by slimy civilians that should be banned, not use by the military.

Comment from George Parker
Time: December 31, 2006, 6:30 pm

I just love it when an ex-jock sportscaster comes on the 6.00PM news and talks about the local numb-nuts football team, describing them as the “Winningest” team of all time. What on earth does “WINNINGEST” mean?

Comment from Richard Owen
Time: December 31, 2006, 7:16 pm

How about:
out there
issue or issues
impact

Comment from Noel
Time: December 31, 2006, 7:24 pm

I cant believe Troops didnt make the list. Somewhere the news decided troops killed meant people(soldiers killed) if they said 3 troops killed they meant 3 people(soldiers were killed.) Wrong, a troop is a group. So wouldnt that mean if a battalion or certain group was killed, that should be a troop killed. Not three random soldiers or my favorite..One troop was killed(they meant one soldier died.) Maybe I am just nit picking.

Comment from Susan
Time: December 31, 2006, 7:45 pm

“Cool” should have been on this list as well. I have co-workers (including some in their 60’s) who use both “cool” and “awesome” — and often both in the same sentence! It’s extremely annoying.

Comment from DHG
Time: December 31, 2006, 7:46 pm

Hella. Anyone who uses this word ought to be seriously punished. This word makes otherwise decent people sound like street trash.

Comment from Arye
Time: December 31, 2006, 7:47 pm

Only when used together: “George” & “Bush”.

Comment from William Fisher
Time: December 31, 2006, 7:57 pm

It’s fine to “ban” “gone/went missing” — but there is no easy way to describe, say, “X’s parents were unable to find him Saturday afternoon … they thought he might be at friend’s that morning. They called around Saturday night and they reported him missing Sunday.” On Monday, you say HE ‘WENT MISSING’ SATURDAY. He didn’t “vanish,” or whatever. You’re left with either “went missing” or “his absence was discovered on Saturday,” which sounds funky — can something that’s NOT be found?

Comment from John
Time: December 31, 2006, 7:58 pm

Have the advertising in media taken over our language usage? How about banning ” WELL QUALIFIED”

If something or someone is QUALIFIED is that not the same as WELL QUALIFIED or is someone qualified but not well enough to get a loan or to buy a car?

Comment from James
Time: December 31, 2006, 8:04 pm

“We’re pregnant”
If a lady is pregnant with child, she surely did not arrive in her present condition all by her lonesome self, did she? Heavens no!!! She had some help in the operation of fertility. If anyone has taken any type of course in biology, they should know this, especially. It just so happens to take two to make a female, whether human or whether of any other animal species, pregnant. Does this not mean that the male is a participating member in the process. By all means, it does. So, whether they’re married, or not, it takes two to tango and create, or, make a pregnancy. Ergo, we’re pregnant, or we are pregnant, most properly describes the situation of a pregnant female. The male does just so happen to be involved.
Think about it…(as hard as that may be for most these days).

Comment from Colleen McAllister
Time: December 31, 2006, 8:07 pm

Gone/Went Missing - when did Americans start using this British snobbism? How about “disappeared” or “got lost”?

Comment from Randy Russell
Time: December 31, 2006, 8:10 pm

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba has been called “Gitmo” for at least the last 40 years and probably for years before that. I heard it called that in 1966 by people who had been stationed there. Who ever thinks it’s a big deal to call it that now is way behind the times.

Comment from Michael Bergmann
Time: December 31, 2006, 8:22 pm

“GITMO” Actually, this is an old military slang word for this place. Bob Hope was there once on a USO tour, and he said that “Gitmo” was short for “Guantanamo” because soldiers wanted their experience of the place to be as short as possible.

Comment from Lucan Demesne
Time: December 31, 2006, 8:24 pm

I’d be willing to grant a reprieve to “Ask your doctor” if the phrase is emended to be “Ask your doctor, and we’ll pay you handsomely for doing our marketing for us.”

Comment from George Shornack
Time: December 31, 2006, 8:35 pm

While I agree with these lists, I must also add that, the media, as well as our “un-education system” is to blame. Problem being, the grammatical slackers are now re-producing, and their children are inheriting their bad grammar, not unlike a bad gene.

I’m not all high and mighty, just saying that there need to be a stronger importance on such things.
I guess I just have good parents.

Comment from Rebecca
Time: December 31, 2006, 8:35 pm

NESTLED. please, for the love of god.. banish the word NESTLED. as in, “we are a quaint little B&B NESTLED among the hills of (blah blah blah)…..”

the madness has got to stop.

Comment from Fergie
Time: December 31, 2006, 8:35 pm

Would it be possible to add “pimp”? As in “pimp your grill”? And one other suggestion, EBay, please! It’s beyond annoying. EBay.
I concur with this year’s list with one exception; awesome. I am a relic of the 80’s, & it is just too difficult to release awesome from my vocabulary! But thank you for the rest of the list.

Comment from Patrick
Time: December 31, 2006, 8:44 pm

Guantanamo was called “Gitmo” when I was station there in 1965-66 so it’s hardly a newly-coined nickname.

Comment from charles
Time: December 31, 2006, 8:46 pm

“……..with an enrollment of three thousand students.”
Hell, I thought colleges and universities enrolled fig trees.

Comment from chris
Time: December 31, 2006, 8:46 pm

…..One that didn’t make the list(but it’s at the top of mine)…

FIRST AND FOREMOST!!!!
And it’s mostly used by those who have absolutely nothing to say after saying, First and foremost…!

Comment from Norah
Time: December 31, 2006, 8:48 pm

I thought “gone missing” was Canadian? I know the first people I ever heard use it were my Canadian landlords. When did it start getting so popular here?

Comment from Patrick
Time: December 31, 2006, 8:48 pm

I agree with the “hella” posting. The only thing more irritating is “hecka”.

Comment from charles
Time: December 31, 2006, 8:55 pm

Hey George, I don’t know what “winningest” means but I do know that a football team is NOT a them. Them is plural, team is singular. Therefore, a team should be referred to as IT.

Comment from Scott Williams
Time: December 31, 2006, 8:59 pm

I say call-off the “Search!” What a great non-cyber word. I am searching for my purpose in life.
Didn’t “Google” already replace an internet search? Google it; I’m sure it did.

Comment from Theresa
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:00 pm

On “went missing”…..Thank you for including this phrase in your list!!! I’ve been ranting and raving about the absurdity of this phrase more than I care to admit. I never “went painting.” I never “went washing.” I never “went eating.” I may, however, have gone berserk over the misuse of “went missing!!” Shame on the media!

Comment from Carolyn Lowther
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:03 pm

Conversate/Conversating? This is not a word!
One converses or has a conversation!
I can’t understand why it wasn’t worthy to be on the list.

Anyways is not a word! There is no ’s’!

Comment from Keith
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:04 pm

In England: “Massive” as in “that win was massive for us.” Must have weighed easily a ton. It’s the English version of the American sportscaster’s “Outstanding.”

Also “very X indeed.” You will never hear a Brit newscaster or sportscaster say “very” without the “indeed.”

Comment from Geezer146
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:05 pm

Gone missing is supposed to OK because to dork who sets the AP’s standards says so. My local newspaper told me so when I complained. Where is missing? How do you get there?

How about using “is missing” or has disappeared, or some other correct description of the event.

The national press must have fired all of their employees who understand American English!

Those of us who read the daily news understand the content most of the time but are sickened by the quality of the English.

Geezer145

Comment from E. Link
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:07 pm

When drug ad state “Ask Your Doctor about (brand of drug with a lot of “X”’s and “Z”’s)…”, I did ask my doctor about this brand. All he did was look at me and said “What does (that brand of drug) do…?”
Bah!

Comment from Keith Partlow
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:09 pm

Thank you for banishing “gone/went missing.” It is an abomination. It interrupts the flow of whatever is being said. It interjects the thought “This person is illiterate,” a thought that prevents the message from being communicated.

Comment from Stan Dobbs
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:14 pm

Take it from and old Navy Vet. For the reasons stated above, Gitmo always has been and probably always will be … and doesn’t belong on the list.

Comment from Dalene
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:15 pm

Thank you! I have always wondered about people who “went missing.” It sounds as though they did so of their own volition, which typically isn’t the case. I wouldn’t miss a thing if the news reporters who like to tell tales of people who went missing suddenly chose to go missing themselves.

Comment from SquareBolt
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:25 pm

“We’re pregnant” is a term that women use to start laying the blame on the father’s shoulders. Get ready guys, the last thing you will hear before birth is “You did this to me!!!”
How about ‘faux’??? That is french for ‘fake’. Or will that just ruin the sell? Fake marble, fake wood, fake person….

Comment from Bob Vogel
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:25 pm

I’m appalled about several things in this forum and it’s not necessarily about the overuse of certain media phrases. There appears to be a certain amount of snotty pedantry and arrogance extant in some of the posts. Hey folks, this is about having fun and more importantly, saving your snarkiness for the oafs who write/create the copy for some of these duufus phrases. Stop with the personal jabs…dudes!

Comment from Toni Mayer
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:27 pm

“Went/gone missing” is a British linguistic convention which has crept into American English, much as “as well” has become a substitute for “also”. I don’t object to either. But “TomKat”, “Brangelina” and their ilk…yuck!”

Comment from Ken
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:28 pm

Maybe it’s just me, but I twitch whenever I hear (in but not limited to reporting about Iraq) the phrase “on the ground”. Seems to me that it’s used about as much as athletes use “ya know”…but not, I might add, as much as “ask your doctor”.

Comment from Linda Dohn
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:29 pm

“you knew” might be added. If I knew I would not be asking

Comment from David Finlay
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:30 pm

“Beefed Up”

I can’t believe that this phrase has not made one of these lists, for several years running (to my knowlege, at least). It is SO overused, and seems kind of vulgar, in a way…using the word “beef” as a verb, in conjunction with “up”, which imparts its meaning depending on whether “up” is to be interpreted as a preposition, adverb, adjective, noun or verb.
“Beefed Up”, indeed!

Comment from Ken Bhirdo
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:33 pm

“My bad” absolutely infuriates me when used by a columnist or other supposedly adult person.
“Went missing” is an eskimo term used when someone didn’t return from a hunting trip. The term was used in a Discovery segment (90’s sometime) and I started hearing it used regularly soon after that.

Comment from Terri
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:34 pm

“HEAD ON APPLIED DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD” gives me a headache!, And what about all those other annoying ads for medications that lists it’s side effects as a fate worse than death or worse than what you would take it for in the first place? Makes me want to never buy medication again!

Comment from John Mauro
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:34 pm

Let’s get rid of “24/7″

Comment from royce
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:35 pm

I have never heard a man use the phrase “we’re pregnant”. It was portrayed as some sort of oppressive male language in your list, but it seems to be the language of a mother verbally involving the babies father, no matter if he is involving himself or not. Men typically feel excluded in the process or exclude themselves willingly, they do not verbally force themselves into the pregnancy, the mother does that.

Comment from Kurt
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:35 pm

Homicide Bomber, anyone?

This one seemed to peak then, thankfully fall out of fashion earlier in the year. Too bad competition in the press often centers around who can come up with the “term du jour” instead of who can provide the best actual news.

Comment from Kurt
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:35 pm

I’ve been in the Navy for 16 years and we have always called it GITMO. Just because the media has over used a word doesn’t mean it’s something new.

Comment from Jane
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:41 pm

Wow you people must have a lot of time on your hands to think of all of the words that YOU think sound stupid or lame. Just because YOU don’t like them doesn’t make them dumb. Why should you care what words people use? If you don’t like them then don’t use them and just ignore it. Like for example, pwned…so what if people say it? Everyone likes to be different and create their own words or use words that other people created to break out of the norm!

Comment from Ben DeBumper
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:42 pm

How about “having said that”, “that said”, and “that being said”? All of which are beaten like the proverbial dead horse. All users of these trite, over-used phrases should be arrested immediately for the crime of immitating the nitwit who spoke previously. Monkey see (or hear), monkey do.

Enough is enough. We know what you just said, and you should be able to figure that out by noticing that we are listening to you. There is absolutely no need to begin each sentence with a caveat referencing the point you just made.

Please stop the madness, it is nauseating.

Comment from John Harper
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:44 pm

I was going to defend GTMO but see I don’t have to. I agree that this year’s list lacks imagination. “Healthy food” is a reasonable condensation of information. “Gone missing” likewise short + informative. “Chipotle” is a SPECIFIC TYPE OF PEPPER, not a jalapeno! It is commonly smoked. The word does not refer to smoking, braising, nor any other cooking technique. IT IS A PLANT. If you don’t like it, don’t eat it. Stop whining.
I too will stop complaining if you can do anything about the celebrity names.

Comment from Robert Weiner
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:44 pm

I’d pay any amount of money to stop hearing the following: “Absolutely Free” Enough with that Oxymoron! If it’s Free…it’s free. “Absolutely” does not make it more free. And, “Boots on the ground/feet on the ground.” Come on, give me a break, please! Now when the talking heads are giving a war rundown, it’s those words which are embedded in every sentence. Yeah, “embedded”…that’s another one!

Comment from bill in detroit
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:51 pm

add the word ‘’actually'’ to that list………………

hmmmm make that: “ACTUALLY, can you add the word actually to the list?”

Comment from Tom
Time: December 31, 2006, 9:53 pm

Gitmo - actually, “Gitmo” was the nickname long before it became notorious.

Comment from Pierre
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:00 pm

The word “chemistry” is over-sued by women in their dating ads. It simply “attraction”. It is a clear case of euphemism designed to make women look less superficial than men, when they are just as much.

Comment from Gehan
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:03 pm

I totally agree with Noel. I noticed about a year ago the word troops being used more and more often instead of soldier. It drives me crazy every time I hear it.

Comment from Carl Langley
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:04 pm

“Gitmo?” Worst list ever. “Eclectic!” Now that’s an obnoxious word used by pretentious people.

Comment from Jake
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:04 pm

Thank you for the inclusion of “WE’RE PREGNANT”. I’m not sure when that one started, but I first heard it in 2006. It did and does sound ridiculous. A key part of most definitions of pregnant is “carrying within the body”. No matter how excited a man is to be a part of bringing a new child into the world, unless he’s borrowed an ability from the seahorse he is most certainly not pregnant. Sometimes new terms result because of problems with an old one, but what was wrong with “we’re expecting”?

Where you really need powers of enforcement is the celebrity name collisions. Since the news has become so fond of celebrity trivia and silly name combinations, here is a new term to describe many members of a profession that used to mostly consist of real journalists: mediots.

Comment from Jeffrey Stewart
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:16 pm

“Botched” needs retirement as do the phrases “bottom line,” “at the end of the day” and “you’re fine.”

Comment from Jeannie
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:21 pm

1. “Gone missing” and “went missing” both are ACTIVE phrases, implying that the absent person or animal or object actively became missing. “IS missing” or any appropriate tense of IS correctly states the subject’s condition, but does not accuse the missing nor any one else of causing the absence. Now you can see that any one who is nabbed or offed, and therefore is noticeably missing, doesn’t get wrongfully accused of making themselves missing.

2. Add to the list the bastardization of how the letter S is pronounced by self-appointed linguists who, unfortunately, get a mike shoved up to their face and start the “SH” sound bite rolling. That bites. Notice how all the small-market tv news people jumped on that fad, as have “celebrities” — yep, folks, it’s the I-heard-it-so-it-must-be-AWESOME-enough-for-me-to-imitate-and-perpetuate-by-”sh-ing”-every-S-in-every-word syndrome (or shyndrome).

3. Dare we dissect locker room lingo after the game? Enough said on those meaningless, trite phrases. Why DO the pro “athletes” have to repeat ad mauseum “What I mean, y’know” three times per sentence? Cna’t they just say what they mean and shut up?

Comment from Robert Meyer
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:21 pm

“GITMO” as in “I’s po’, I need tuh GITMO money.”

Comment from C Kennedy
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:30 pm

Not all combined celebrity names are bad. Stephen Colbert comined William H. Macy with Felicity Huffman to come up with my favorite celebrity combo name, Filliam H. Muffman. As used in “The Splendiferous Zeppelin Escapades of Filliam H. Muffman.”

Comment from John Richards
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:30 pm

I agree with most of the comments. The list this year is weak. Gitmo, went missing, boasts are all entries that should not be “banished.” At the same time “theater” should be banished for describing a cinema. How about banishing “football” for describing a game that is played with HANDS. Or all the name abbreviations that we so often use, like JC (Jesus Christ), W (George W Bush), JLo, T (Tony Soprano), JT (Justin Timberlake), etc. Are we so lazy as not to say the full name? Also, banning some French words would not be a bad idea, such as matr d’ (sounds like a person’s bottom to me), or hord’euvr (I don’t even know how to spell this, so let’s just call it appetizer, please). Also, I am tired of reading about “leverage” and “synergies.” Being “challenged” and having “priorities” has also become trite and senseless. So have “don’t be defensive” (okay, I will be attacking), ADD, ODC, numerous other psych terms used correctly and incorrectly all over the place, “diversity”, “melting pot”, alien overall, “arbitrage’, etc.

Comment from Blurgle
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:31 pm

To Colleen McAllister - “gone missing” is often a euphemism for “either disappeared on his own or was abducted, but we don’t know which”.

To those who thought up this list: “Search” is a perfectly good word. I’m not going to Google for a missing child in my neighbourhood; I’m going to search for him.

Comment from Blurgle
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:32 pm

Also, I’m surprised that “amazing” didn’t make it.

Comment from Charley Francis
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:32 pm

The phrase that should be top of the list every year for several years now is “In Harms way”. It is a phrase that is both PC and insipid at the same time. I truly despise it.

Comment from Robert Meyer
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:32 pm

“AWESOME” as in “only slightly awful.”

Comment from tony
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:33 pm

Undocumented Alien

The explanation is not satisfying. Anyone who thinks that every alien without documentation is illegal does not understand immigration law. There are plenty of ways to be lawfully in the country or not illegally in the country without documentation. Tsk for not doing a little more research before buying into the complaints of anti-immigration crusaders.

Comment from Scott Geiger
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:36 pm

This list is awesome. I just wish “in harm’s way” had made the list.

Comment from Arthur Lampel
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:37 pm

“Now Playing in Theaters” “Only in Theaters”

As my friends in the advertising agency tell me: There are actually reasons for both of these: In some areas of the country advertising campaings for films often start prior to the actual opening, the studio needs to let the consumer know when the film is actually at the local cinemaplex.

“Only inTheaters” warns the consumer that there are no legal DVDs and makes is easier to convict pirates.

Comment from dan shannon
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:38 pm

“HAVING SAID THAT” , “THAT SAID”, “UBER” ANYTHING ,
All need to be added to this list.

Comment from glendaannhill
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:40 pm

Add “that’s hot”

Comment from Stacy
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:44 pm

Why should search be banned? Like anyone’s going to say “I’m googling for my dog” or “I’m going to google for my purse.” Get real!

Comment from james
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:48 pm

“We’re pregnant” comment from another James: If those same two people get into a fist fight and only one gets a bloody nose, do they both report “we’re bloody?” Sorry, James, only one of them is bloody and only mom is pregnant.

The male who announces “we’re pregnant” has either multiple personalities or is trying to assure those present that he’s the daddy even if he isn’t so sure of it himself.

Comment from will gaskell
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:49 pm

I’m with R.O. on this: Impact - the overuse of this word is disturbing. Whatever happened to…Affect? Save “impact” for describing problem molars or asteroids that strike the planet. The mindless use of this word is having a negative impa…affect on me.

Overuse of “issues” is another ..please use problems or disagreements or difficulties or uncertainties to describe situations your having trouble with. “Issues” is therapyspeak for the lazy.

Comment from Robert Meyer
Time: December 31, 2006, 10:57 pm

“UNDOCUMENTED ALIEN” as in UFOs not in Project Blue Book.

Comment from Rachel Warren
Time: December 31, 2006, 11:17 pm

A this time, human females are still the only gender capable of pregnancy. Thank you for the rudimentary bio lesson James, but no matter how you spin it men will have to wait until science enables them to do so before they can call themselves pregnant.

Comment from Grady Philpott
Time: December 31, 2006, 11:21 pm

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base has been called GITMO for as long as I can remember knowing that there was a Naval base in Cuba, which is about 40 years, or so, and I’m pretty certain that sailors and Marines have been calling it that for about as long as the base has been there.

Comment from O Orr
Time: December 31, 2006, 11:23 pm

Please add ‘fear’ to your list of overused words by the media. As in:

U.S. fears….
Officials fear…..
UN fears….
Military fears…..

It is possible to be able to consider possible outcomes or responses without being in ‘fear’. I think the overuse of this word actually says something about the mentality of the people writing the stories….THEY are the ones in ‘fear’

Comment from Geoff Thurman
Time: December 31, 2006, 11:27 pm

I asked a friend of mine yesterday this question: “where did you go”? With a sense of purpose, he told me that he went missing. I ask him if he found anything when he went missing. He told me he did find something, but, alas, he lost it.

Comment from Sam
Time: December 31, 2006, 11:30 pm

Please add the word “absolutly”. This is yet another overused word that is changing in meaning, as things are really never absolute.

Comment from Joe Vesely
Time: December 31, 2006, 11:50 pm

I’d love to see the use of as a prelude to a generally unsurprising conclusion, such as: “Some people think that President Bush’s statement that we attacked Iraq because Saddam Hussein was developing weapons of mass destruction is , well, a lie.”

Comment from Janet
Time: December 31, 2006, 11:51 pm

Pwn and Pwned and that whole list of ” L33T” speak need to be removed. when you hear a real live person says LOL or ROFL, you really need to question sanity.
I fear L33t will become the Ebonics of the computer age.

Comment from JEN
Time: December 31, 2006, 11:54 pm

“We’re Pregnant” - ooooh, this one drives me nuts. “WE’RE having a baby.”; “SHE’S pregnant.” How hard is that.

Comment from Carolyn Lowther
Time: December 31, 2006, 11:54 pm

Conversate and Conversating! There is no such words!

Comment from Sandra
Time: December 31, 2006, 11:55 pm

In response to James’ comment about “we’re pregnant,” Yes, it does take two people to get pregnant, but unless the male person is going to join in and participate in the morning sickness, backaches, swollen feet and hands, clumsiness, forgetfulness, and about a hundred other symptoms of being pregnant, not to mention the labour and delivery pains, he is NOT “pregnant.” He may be “expecting,” but not pregnant. He may say his spouse/significant other is pregnant, or that he got her pregnant, but last I checked with my doctor, men are not physically able to be pregnant. Boy, I’d love to be able to say my husband is pregnant and have him deal with the next one, though…

Comment from mokey
Time: December 31, 2006, 11:55 pm

What about the phrase “going forward” (example “Going forward, the company will no longer tolerate X.” Where was I when “going forward” replaced “from now on”? It seems to have happened overnight–everybody is saying it now, from the workplace to newscasts to my mom.

It’s funny how some phrases catch on.

Comment from Fabian G. Lanzy
Time: December 31, 2006, 11:59 pm

Personally I think the lot of you self-styled ‘Unicorn Hunters’ are lexiconic reactionaries. The English language has developed into being the global language it is becuase of its abbility to borrow phrases and adapt. Useage and consensual reality is what drives our language and culture to change, NOT self-serving edicts by curmudgeonly ivory-towers.

Basically you people need to use Merriam-Webster as a suposotory, get a life and get a sense of humor. Our wonderfully idiomatic language will change and adapt with popular useage regardless of the wishes of stuff shirts. The Victorian age is over, let the language adapt to the New Millenium. Supressing words is supressing ideas- yours is totally an Orwellian ideal.

Comment from JEN
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:01 am

And to Noel: a troop (in military, not boy scouts) IS one single person. A squadron, platoon, battalion, etc. is a group. Every individual soldier/sailor/Marine/airman is a troop.

Comment from Alecia Anderson
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:02 am

Combining celebrity couples names is just another way for the media to manipulate the news. Stop reading the stupid stories and buying the inane tabloids.

Comment from Gitmo
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:04 am

The first time I heard the term “Gitmo” was back in the early 60’s when I was in Jr. Hi school. One of the school employees told of “doing a tour” at Gitmo. It is an old term, just over used today.

Comment from Lauren
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:07 am

Chipotle is a smoked jalapeno pepper. It is what it’s called. It’s not an overused word, if anything its an overused ingredient….or a popular one maybe?

In addition, “pwned” is not an “overused typo” its a part of hacker jargon designed to not be searchable….oops sorry I used another banned word.

This list is pretty weak.

Comment from Kathy M
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:13 am

The word “celebutante” needs to go!

Comment from Ralph S
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:13 am

Banish the phrase “as well”. The next time you watch TV news… count how many times they say it in a 5 minute period!

Comment from Jim
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:14 am

The word “ABSOLUTELY”!!!!!!! Everyone uses this term to indicate that they are in agreement, but everytime I hear it I think….Where is independent thinking??? The term ABSOLUTELY is soo overused and it is for kissing ass. It prohibits free thinking and limits peoples minds. It says…Im in with your group….your click….

Comment from Robert Haines
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:15 am

And while we’re on the topic, would we please stop using the term “decimate” until we know how to correctly use it? It doesn’t mean “eliminate” or “annihilate”, the way that the media has been using it lately; it means to kill 10% of the total number.

Comment from D. Foster
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:16 am

“That being said” or “That said” is seemingly obligatory by every talking head on television.

“That being said” is what “focus” was to the ’80’s and what “awsome” and “extreme” were to the ’90’s.

Comment from Bonnie Koski
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:18 am

I am very glad to see that combined celebrity names made your list. It may be the single most annoying thing in the news today. Now if you could some how ban “Celebrity News” too, the general IQ of this country would probably go up several points and News bureaus might actually have to cover real news.

Comment from Bill Barron
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:26 am

How can the word ‘insurgency’ not be on the list? It’s about the most over-used, incorrect description of the Iraq Civil war that can be imagined.

Comment from Carol Cilona
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:36 am

“so fun”…I just want to cut out the tongue of every person who uses this phrase with old rusty scissors…because it will be “so much fun”. This is just bad grammar and pure laziness!

Comment from Toni
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:38 am

When the “boasts” word is used … why, oh, why must it be associated with “OVERSIZE”? Has large disappeared entirely?

“The master bedroom boasts his and hers dressing rooms with oversized mirrors. If they are “over sized” aren’t they too big ?????

Comment from Miranda
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:40 am

‘Compelling’ - it doesn’t seem possible to write a review for a book, film or play without employing this overused word.

The only compulsion I feel is to scream.

Comment from Glenn Garrett
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:42 am

Shortly after the exclamation not! disappeared from expression I now see the word moreover in many books I read. More of and over what ? What’s wrong with ‘in addition to’ or additionally ?

Comment from Jerry King
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:43 am

Re: GITMO, or to give it’s full name “US Naval Station Guantanamo Day Cuba”, is a shortened version of the full name used by Naval and Marine personal because the full name is a mouth full, to say the least. It has been a US Naval Base since 1903. And by the way when did it become “notorious”.

Comment from Mike M.
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:48 am

It’s far too late but if I hear the word “proactive” again I’m going to retch. This law enforcement favorite hasn’t made it into common use among the public at large but it’s a favorite when used by cops to argue that they are doing what they are supposed to do; that is, work.

Comment from David Poston
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:48 am

Another one for the pharmacology industry: “Tell your doctor what other drugs your taking”. if my doctor doesn’t know (assuming they’re legal), I need a new doctor.

Comment from Sachi Wilson
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:49 am

I don’t watch much teevee, but inevitably what strikes me is the cereal advertisements, with their constant admonishments at the end that they are “part of this complete breakfast” (while surrounded with the only breakfast foods that a sensible parent would want to feed their kids.) Enough! We are intelligent enough to know that most kid-friendly cereals are junk and that they have little value other than sugar; let’s give us some credit and can the inane statement about the “complete breakfast.”

Comment from Colleen
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:51 am

I cannot possibly imagine that the phrase “that’s hot” didn’t make the list….

Comment from Harry
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:57 am

Pwned. At last I finally know what it means. Thanks LSSU. I’m just another Dad left in the dark, trying to understand what todays kids are saying, or at least trying to say. Good choice, and definately time to Ban.

Comment from zan gregory
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:01 am

How about the word “padded”? Is there ANY novel ANYWHERE that does not use this weird word? Everyone must be padding into their kitchens just about now for a New Year’s snack! Or at the vey least, they will pad into their bathrooms for some quick relief from their New Year’s libations! I am so sick of reading that word…and it is in every book I read!

Comment from Anthony
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:03 am

How about “Exactly?”

The next time you’re at work, out with friends, or talking to anyone casually, listen to see how often the word “exactly” is used.

Is it possibly to know exactly what somebody meant or what they are actually thinking? Not as often as many might lead you to believe.

Highly overused - please point this out to people…

Thanks

Comment from lezlie
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:05 am

In the Overuse category, you have to add “if you will”. Popularized by the Vice President, it has been used by politicians, pundits, and common folk this year ad nauseum!

Comment from Jan
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:05 am

“We’re pregnant”
Being a woman with 4 kids, I realize it takes 2 to cause a pregnancy; however, this term still sounds incredibly stupid to me. Excuse me,

Comment from Frederick B Haynes
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:06 am

please consider “dead bodies.” the phrase was a media darling this past year. it is meaningless except to george romero fans.

Comment from Jan
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:07 am

oops…hit enter too soon…

…as I was saying, MEN don’t get PREGNANT, so to say “We’re pregnant” sounds incredibly dumb.

Comment from Jan
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:09 am

Maybe some teenager can answer this one for me:

What the heck is a “hollaback girl”????

I don’t want to say on a public forum exactly WHAT this sounds like to me.

Comment from John G
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:12 am

AWESOME is the lamest word to come around, since COOL (neither of which are cool or awesome).

However PEACE CORPS taught me in the 1960s that the dirtiest word in the English language is STUPID. It always implies an insult and is uttered by someone who doesn’t understand the full situation at hand. Ironically, it generally implies the stupidity of the person who says it.

Comment from Bill Ward
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:16 am

“Truthiness” popularized by Stephen Colbert, always brings to mind a substitution of a question he frequently asks guests, “George Bush: worst president or worstiest president?”

Comment from Bill Ward
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:19 am

Also, in reference to Sue’s comment about “cool”; I am not sure how old the usage is of this word for something other then temperature, but the earliest that I have seen it used was by Mark Twain. Been around a long time, certainly banishing it won’t hurt any.

Comment from Larry Mickel
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:22 am

I’m sorry, but I have to agree with Jim Turner’s last comment that this seems to be a rather disappointing list this year. There are too many “here today-gone tomorrow” phrases that are currently somewhat irritating, but are not likely to stay around and become increasingly more irritating and, therefore, worthy of banning. Likely, they’ll crumble under their own weight within a short period of time, e.g., “Brangelina”, “Bennifer” and “TomKat”. Other words/phrases just seem to be rather innocuous, but not really worthy of banning, e.g., “boasts”, “search”, “we’re pregnant”.
I don’t see why Jim Turner, William Fisher et al have such difficulty with finding words to substitute for “went missing”. It’s a phrase that has clearly become overworked in the last year and should definitely be banned, both for its overuse and its violation of “the Queen’s English”. The trouble with its use is that in order to say that someone “went” missing, we have to first assume that the person decided to be missing, set out to be missing, wanted to be missing and so, said to himself or herself. “Today, I think I’ll go missing.” in the same manner as if they said, “Today, I think I’ll play tennis”, “Today, I think I’ll go shopping”, etc. One cannot be said to have “went” missing (in the past tense) unless they first set out to “go” missing in the present or future tense. Since this is rarely the case and people usually wind up missing for other unfortunate reasons, how difficult is it to then say that someone was, “found to be missing”, “reported to be missing”, “noted to be missing”, “turned up missing”, or any other of numerous such phrases to let others know that a person is now missing. Tell it like it is; they’ve been found to be missing and are still missing, but since they didn’t “go” missing (of their own volition), it should not be said that they “went” missing. Let’s BAN this misused phrase and not make arguments in its defense.
I do agree that “awesome” deserves to be on this otherwise disappointing 2007 list. We show a paucity of verbal ability when we can only describe notable events as “awesome” and can only describe good-looking or notable women as “amazing” women. Surely our language is far richer than such words make it appear to be. Let’s hope that in 2007 these words will “go missing”; if so, we’ll probably not note their absence and therefore will not “report them to be missing”.

Comment from Mike McGrath
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:24 am

I’m really sick of “hoodisms,” such as “back in the day.” What day, exactly? Also, yuppie phrases such as “kitchy” and, God help me, “eclectic.” Is that a cross between electric and hectic, or what?! When I hear people say crap like that, it’s time to leave!

Comment from J. L. Strzalka USMC
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:27 am

I was in the Marine Corp from 1961 thru 1964 and GITMO was called GITMO at that time. GITMO is not a new or fashion de jour word. When anyone uses it there is no doubt about what subject or geographical location is under discussion. The “boots” at LSSU still have mothers milk splashed behind their ears and dont have any “salt”. They shouldn’t be allowed to even discuss this place until they have at least been thru “PI” or “Dago” and then a tour with 5th Marines, 7th Marines or 24th Marines in Anbar Province.

Comment from ELF
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:28 am

Regarding John, and his objection to “well qualified”: If one has the qualifications to be (whatever), isn’t that enough? The idea that there is more to being qualified than being qualified is akin to arguing over how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

Comment from Eliska
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:33 am

Can we please also get rid of ‘amazing’ while we’re ousting ‘awesome’
Awesome should have been ditched last year

Comment from millbilly
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:45 am

“See more bannished words by clicking the link below:”

(Cut an pasted from above)

If we’re all about proper English, etc., then shouldn’t there only be one “n” in “banished?”

Physician, heel thyself!!

Comment from Dave
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:47 am

GTMO is the abbreviation used by the U. S. Navy for the Guantanamo Bay Command. It has been called “Gitmo” for decades. The prison it houses may be notorious in some peoples’ eyes, but the Base plays an important role in Navy and Coast Guard operations in the Carribbean.

Comment from Dennis Petticord
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:47 am

It’s time to ban “assault rifle” for rifle and “hand gun” for pistol. Do they achieve more carnage because of the name change?

Also ban “went/gone missing.” You are either missing or you have disappeared. It’s as simple as that.

Comment from J.Richard Fields
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:53 am

Can we ad “these ones” to the list? I am so tired of hearing “these ones” when referring to “those” or “these”.

Comment from Cate
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:55 am

PLEASE make sure that: “having said that” or “that having been said” makes your next list! It seems like EVERYONE is trying to work those two stupid phrases into every conversation.

Please stop them!

Oh and since you brought up pregnancy. Can women PLEASE stop referring to their sposes as “hubby” it makes my ears bleed. Oh and then I actually heard someone who said “sammich” instead of sandwich. Those people I just want to punch.

God help me.

Comment from C Menne
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:56 am

Some that I’d like to see put to rest.

Saying “Baby momma”, “Baby daddy” instead of Mother of my child, Father of my child.

Saying “Incarcerated”, instead of jail or prison.

Using the word “female” in any description of a woman.

And, by all means, let’s give a “shout out” for “yo”.

Comment from Jim Hughes
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:58 am

I would love to hear that the phrase “President George W. Bush” was banned. (Note the absence of the subjunctive mood.)

Instead, perhaps “inmate Bush” or “he’s splitting-a-great-big-pile-of-rocks-and-can’t-talk-to-you-right-now-Bush” or “on the stand being prosecuted for war crimes at The Hague” would be an improvement.

Comment from Jim
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:02 am

Damn, Dammit, Damn It. Originally it meant ‘banish to Hell’ but now people are using it way too much. ‘Damn’ is commonly used right after something bad happens. (A brick falls on his finger, breaks it and he shouts out ‘dammit’! Obviously, a brick can’t be sent to Hell) Or if somebody is showing off, and they say it like ‘damn, that corvette goes 120?’ Damn what? It isn’t being directed at anyone or anything.

Comment from Liz
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:04 am

“Truthiness”… sounds like something a four-year-old would say. Honestly it makes every one of us americans sound unintelligent.

Comment from Jim
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:04 am

‘Dick Cheney’ and ‘Shotgun’
We’ve all heard the story, its getting annoying.

Comment from Jocelyn
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:06 am

It is not a word but a phase that drives me insane, “you know what I mean”. some people can say this phase several times during a conversation. Nodding my head should be enough clue that I know what you are saying and what you mean. If I did not know what you were saying I would ask you to clarify. Some people don’t even get through what they are saying before they use the phase. Also “um” and “like” does not need to be used in every sentence!!

Comment from Jim
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:07 am

Irregardless? This word is a double negative in itself, the base word is ‘garde’ or regard, which we all know the meaning to. Regardless is just meaning the opposite, or ‘ignores or defies the point or reason’ Now if you add -Ir- which is another negative in latin roots, it becomes a double negative and means the same as the original word, regard/regarding. It sounds ok when you speak it, but its just an ignorant term generally meaning the opposite of what the speaker intends.

Comment from Paula Dykes
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:08 am

Thank you, finally, on went/gone missing! She has been missing since Saturday. We discovered on Monday that she has been missing since Saturday. She was reported missing on Monday, no one has seen her since Friday. She has not been seen since Friday. She disappeared over the weekend!

Comment from Charles B. Heard
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:12 am

Any use of the word “tweak”, especially as applied to the act of making minor adjustments or changes is silly to the point that it makes me cringe when I hear it. I have heard it so many times that I think we could do without the word altogether.

Comment from Stan Burruss
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:13 am

Awesome is GOD, period!

Comment from Lorna
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:14 am

I really don’t want to “Wrap my head around it” nor would I really want to “Wrap my brain around it”. When did that phrase start and who started it?

Comment from Dee
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:17 am

Look, we need to drop all French, German, etc. in our English phrases and as words. We are English! The English vocabulary is hard enough to learn, let alone all foreign languages. I say, if you wanna speak another language, then learn one, but keep it out of the English litature.

Comment from Max
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:23 am

Too many of the words on this year’s list are simply commonly used, and properly used, phrases. “Gone missing/Went missing” is an especially common British expression that means “disappeared.” “Now playing in theaters” simply tells you the movie is in theaters now, as opposed to being out on DVD or simply not being available to watch at all yet. The word, “Search”? Come on. We search for things on the internet a lot. So what?

I do like many of the choices, like the combined celebrity names, which is simply a media creation that is indeed obnoxious.

I expect these banned words to be ones that are deliberately overused, or used in a completely inappropriate context, in order to misrepresent. The phrases are used to attach pleasant and phoney meanings to things that don’t deserve them, like “undocumented aliens” (instead of “criminals”, which is what they are.) Alternately, these tiresome expressions might be used by the ignorant, or the lazy media (same thing!) because they cannot think of more accurate ways to express themselves. Once one robotic reporter latches onto the phrase “Gitmo”, the others all follow suit and parrot it because they don’t want to appear to “not be in the know.”

So while I’m at it, how about “respect.” Not that the word “respect” is a bad word. But it has become a grossly overused word, especially in the rap community. For example, “Respect me.” Or, “Don’t show me no disrespect.”
The word is being used in these contexts to REALLY mean, “Get out of my face.” It has nothing to do with “respect.” It’s more like trying to bark a street thug warning while using a more formal word in order to appear to be gentlemanly.

Comment from michael
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:28 am

re: chipotle. The word may be overused as a fast-food adjective, but the chipotle (from the Nahuatl word for “smoked chile”) is a very specific real thing: a dry-smoked ripe jalapeno pepper. Its use — and name — probably predates the time of the Aztecs. I take no issue with the propect of banishing the misuse of the term by fast-food restaurants — or fast food restaurants entirely, for that matter — but, I don’t think banishing the word will eliminate the pepper, which will still need to be called something.

Comment from Kerry
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:29 am

Oh man, I wanted to nominate “tipping Point” but didn’t get to it - please consider its banishment in ‘08

Comment from henry cowan
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:37 am

I gag when I hear newsies calling a helicopter a “chopper”. I suppose they never learned to spell helicopter.

Also, when did it become fashionable to say that someone who has been shot has been “gunned down”?

Comment from Sharon Hall
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:37 am

‘veggie’ . What’s wrong with vegetable–it’s a perfectly decent word?

Comment from Eric Bryce
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:58 am

There is no more overused meaningless word than awesome. It seemed to come into use in the 80s and instead of fading out began to be used by everyone instead of the skateboarders who started using it to describe their most resent ride. The other day a woman on a home improvement show used it twice in one sentence to describe her remodel. “They did an awesome job and it just looks awesome. ” What’s next, I got an awesome pedicure the other day and it looks awesome?

Comment from P Ross
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:04 am

Re. GITMO:

I was in the Military in 1972, and I remember Guantanamo being called “GITMO” back then, when the only war was the winding down of VietNam.

Comment from Stephen Colbert
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:07 am

How dare my word get put on this list! Have you know, Truthiness won the Word of the Year.

Comment from Gene Dieken
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:27 am

I’m crestfallen that you didn’t ban “at the end of the day,” the most often spoken phrase inside the beltway.

Comment from jay
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:34 am

u left Out Sweet & sutup

Comment from Carol Duncan
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:34 am

I would like to add the word “ask” when used as a noun. Non-profit organizations sometimes use this term to refer to a pitch for donations at a fundraising event. I get sick every time I hear the word used this way. It is just wrong.

Comment from Don Green
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:36 am

Although not grammatically incorrect, as far as I can determine; the phrase “At the end of the day” has become so automatically inserted into the punditry and even “legitimate” reporting lexicon that it is essentially an overblown equivalent of “Okay?” or “Uh…” I’m just so sick of having to hear supposedly eloquent commentators insert this inanity when they can think of nothing else to say and feel they must utter another sentence or two.
I know that “When all is said and done” and like phrases are the more or less accepted forerunners of this particular kind of mental laziness, but “At the end of the day” has become absolutely epidemic!
Watergate gave us “At this point in time”, I believe 2006 and the flood of especially ex-military punditry will, AT THE END OF THE DAY, saddle us with this obscenity.
I hate it. I would welcome comment from any and all who have noticed this Kudzu of self-expression.

Don Green

Comment from Lisa
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:38 am

“Joe” stick to the crossword puzzles with your snobbish attitude. We all know that Andrea May was just being cute, you on the other hand are being a stuck up snoot! You may think yourself superior in your vocabulary arsenal but you are just showing your lack of social skills. You, my friend, need to hop down off of your high horse and join the rest of us here on Earth. Do you think this attitude is appealing to anyone? No one is impressed by your vernacular so “Thhhhhhhppppppp”!! (Just imagine a tongue sticking out at you and vigorously flapping up and down.)

And I agree that the words “George” and “Bush” should be banned when used in conjunction. The man needs to be impeached too!

Comment from kryss
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:39 am

wicked… I hate this word, especially when used with another word, such as “wicked cool” to describe something in a positive light.

I will disagree with “we’re pregnant” though, as this shows that the father, who was obviously involved in creating the pregnancy, remains involved. In this society with so many single mothers (both by choice and not by choice), it clarifies something that is often unclear. In addition, there are human studies showing the importance of the male to feel involved during the time of gestation, as much as for the female who carries the fetus. Otherwise, the male ends up just about as attached to the new baby as you or I might feel if someone just walked up and handed over a kid… nothing near what the mother feels!

Comment from Eric Bryce
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:46 am

I can’t believe “bling bling” or “bling” didn’t make the list. It started God knows when being used as “street talk” meaning flashy ganster type tacky jewelry. When a real estate agent in her 50s used it the other day on HGTV to emphisize a rooms lack of style I knew it was surely near it’s end. It’s like rap music, it’s dumb, it’s ugly, it’s not really music, and it won’t go away.

Comment from Thomas Meiskey
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:12 am

““GITMO” Actually, this is an old military …”
Why “Actually” ? Should read “GITMO is an old military …”
When you punch a simple statement with “actually” you sound stupid.
“I just love it … ” Yes, love it , food, candy, etc. Thank you for bastardizing a very good word. I rarely use the word “love” because love is a very meaningful and special word.
I agree: “cool” and “awesome” are very good words that are bastardized by people lacking a vocabulary.

Comment from Reen Carter
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:20 am

Everyone should have a look at your list. It’s a great read!

Comment from moo
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:34 am

To Robin from Flower Mound:

Yes, missing is a place! Have you gone crazy? Crazy is also a place! Mad as well! The usage of the verb “to go” when it refers to leaving one place for another actually uses this fancy preposition after it that I like to call “to.” As in, I went TO the Poconos. I went TO Flower Mound, TX and taught Robin a simple grammar lesson. Lacking that preposition, the verb takes on another meaning! Girls gone wild haven’t actually gone to the wild, they’re just behaving in a different manner, one that can be described as wild! And to answer the question: Yes, they’re missing! Dumb ass!

The stupid, it burns!

Comment from Eddie Lepper
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:46 am

“Please Advise” annoys me, but I’m not sure why.

Please Advise.

Comment from Alex M. Thompson
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:57 am

Can we add “random” to the list? That word is fairly well played out.

Comment from Patrick
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:03 am

You want enforcement? I’ll give you enforcement. Anyone using a banned word will be slapped upside the head with a Webster’s (or Oxford’s, depending on the time zone); “extraodinarily rendered” to Kansas where they will be tied to a chair, forced to talk to “Earl”, watch “I Love Lucy” reruns, and debate Evolution vs. Creationism until their nose bleeds.
2007? RACHAEL RAY must be clubbed like a baby seal. She is not a “wordsmith”; rather, an idiot with a wisk and air-time. EVOO is NOT A WORD!!!!! An acronym at best, stupidity at its finest.
I’ll be baaack…yah.

Comment from April
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:19 am

Um, who the *hell* gets annoyed at “Now playing in theatres?” Cause you know, some movies do go straight to video and just last week me and my friend waited for them to say a movie was playing in theatres because we thought it was a TV movie at first.

Comment from bill
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:21 am

contrary to what has been stated in previous posts, Guantanamo Bay Naval Base has been refered to as GITMO since at least 1973 when I went there.

Comment from Marie
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:23 am

Um, you really SHOULD ask your doctor about medication you take, even over the counter. So, are you telling people they should just take the medication that tv ads tote and hope it doesn’t react badly?

Comment from Gary
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:30 am

I would’ve added “brave men and women” (of our armed forces). I am so sick of that phrase that I shorten it to BMaW, or beemaw; as in “the beemaw was promoted to lieutenant”. Much love, respect, and gratitude to our soldiers but that phrase has got to go.

Comment from Mark
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:30 am

To William Fisher,

The sentence “He had been missing since Saturday.” As opposed to “He went missing Saturday.” would be more appropriate. I think what the writers of the list of banished words were trying to say is nobody ‘went’ missing or have ‘gone’ missing, the proper way to put it is “He went missing.” or “He was missing.”

Comment from Jonathan B
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:34 am

Pretty good list, I for one would love to see this i- crap drop like the moronic garbage it is.

Comment from trubolt
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:38 am

just goes to show you what happens when a group of educated idiots have nothing better to do, instead of doing something useful like ending world hunger, etc.

Comment from Mark Walter
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:46 am

“Gitmo” as military slang/shorthand for Guantanamo Bay N.B. was in use at least as far back as 1963–it appeared in Bob Hope’s book “I Owe Russia $1200″ published in that year. According to Wikipedia, “Gitmo” comes from the abbreviation GTMO; and appears to be an attempt to pronounce this abbreviation as a word.

Comment from Simian05
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:52 am

I can’t even relate the feeling of nausia I get when I see or hear ‘Pwn/Pwned’. Using someones typo… repeatedly…. I simply cannot fathom the idiocy involved in the spreading of this ‘word’. It is my wish that this year it will be made legal to kill, torture or severely beat anyone who uses this term.
(Fingers crossed)

Comment from Flame Retard
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:52 am

My nominations for 2008:

1. The letter u as in “see u later”. See you later, u…
2. White men. The MSM, women and minorities hate white men so much we might just as well ban them.
3. MSM. White men and conservatives hate the Mainstream Media so much we might just as well ban it. Makes a wonderful matched set with #2.
4. WMD. Let’s explode this one.
5. Islamofascist. Let’s execute this one.
6. Cool. Getting a shade stale…
7. Progressive. The new word for liberal, it’s progressively less clear…
8. Tort reform. Sounds like improvements in the bakery. Bound to make a comeback with John Edwards announcing his candidacy for president, we should deep six this bon mot, toute suite.
9. Pop tart. There’s now too many of these popping up to swallow at breakfast.
10. People with disabilities. Uh, you mean handicapped? Aren’t we all handicapped in some way?
11. Large. You mean fat.
12. ADD. Boy.
13. Billary. A Banished Word that will be nominated by millions for 2009, hereby submitted for consideration for 2008, ahead of the curve.
14. Ahead of the curve. It’s now behind the 8-ball.

Comment from Paul
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:57 am

Why wasn’t “if you will” on this list? While listening to news, interviews and the like, this phrase is interjected into the conversations more times than I can count.Do these people think this phrase makes them sound inteligent? Extremely annoying. I say banish, banish immediatly.

Comment from John C
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:01 am

“We’re pregnant” Luckly I never hear that. I think the term is stupid. But I can understand the reason behind it. Great set of words to split apart and never have them meet in the middle again.

Comment from Hollie Johnson
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:03 am

I’m glad for the ban on gone/went missing, but it seems to me that ‘TURNED UP MISSING’ is used (to my never ending disgust) almost as often.. Oh, and just because I’m here, let’s get rid of NUCULAR.. It’s NUCLEAR! Someone should tell the president, because he’s obviously unaware of it.. Or they could just drop a nucular bomb on him..

Comment from Donna
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:14 am

This is the perfect thing to look at on your way to bed on January 1, 2007. I not only laughed out loud, but woke my husband - Now, he will look while I go make coffee. Thank you for have this out so early. It made my morning!

Comment from Ken
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:17 am

How about: Jane Doe is MISSING, she was last seen on Saturday after visiting a neighbor. You do not go missing, you either are or you are not.

Medicine adds: They should be outlawed! I’m sure the doctors love them, sarcasm emphasized! Patient: Doc, I need (whatever). Doctor: No, that medicine is for women with genital warts. Patient: But the commercial said.. I’m sure this is confusing for everyone. We are an over medicated society, which may be why we misuse and overuse words.

I partially agree with Joe, although not so arrogant! We, as Americans, do very little as the Queen would have. Maybe we should. I think it would fix numerous problems we have here.

Undocumented Alien: Yes, this is ridiculous! If you speed, which is a violation of law, you are a criminal. If you trespass, which is a violation of law, you are a criminal. If you are a criminal, you have done something illegal, which would make them…………………………”ILLEGAL Aliens” or “CRIMINALS”!!!

Comment from classof04
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:24 am

“p’wned has become a part of common parlance. i wasn’t a gamer senior year of highschool, in ‘03/’04, but p’wned was way cooler then than any alternative. thus, two years later, if it hasn’t yet been banned (seeing as i was already late in using the word), then the window of opportunity for banning the use of the term has certainly passed.

in addition, i would agree with the banning of “truthiness” if most of the people who used the term used it in its proper context. unfortunately, most people who use it think it’s merely a cute alternative to “truth.” if people actually overused the word within its accurate context, then i would agree with its placement here, but it seems most of the time that popular journalists use the word, they use it in error (as though they were saying “i could care less”).
while stephen colbert is certainly frequently annoying b/c of how overplayed he is, i think “truthiness” is getting a bad rap.

ooooohhhhhh. p’wned!!!!!

Comment from Mel Furney
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:25 am

Add: Senior Govenment Official (Unnamed)
Add: Drink Responsibly (How!)

Comment from John
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:26 am

Gitmo is a strictly Navy label. The general population only became aware of it when it was converted into a political dungeon.

Comment from Pat
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:27 am

Search replaced with Google? Did Google sponsor this list?

Comment from Ricky J
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:28 am

Gitmo is neither a flowery Japanese anime nor Army talk.

Gitmo is an abbreviation that U.S Sailors have used for decades when referring to the “Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay Cuba”. “Gitmo” means the same thing using only two syllables vice ten.

It is as entrenched in Navy slang and jargon as swab (mop), deck (floor), head (bathroom), overhead (ceiling) and Skipper (Commanding Officer).

A motor vehicle of less than show room quality at the base is sometimes referred to as a “Gitmobile”.

Squids (sailors) used the term Gitmo years before detainees were interned there and the sand crabs (any non-nautical individuals) picked up on it.

Comment from Satchel Charges
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:30 am

Well how about the word, heck is not even a word.. “Yo” or “my niggah”

These particular words annoy the everliving crap out of me.

Comment from SASKA
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:35 am

X-mas is banning the most important part of the word. It is the christ who is born not the X. I beleive it should be banned seriously.

Comment from Bill McKinley
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:41 am

Guantanamo Bay has been called “Gitmo” since at least 1961 when I was in the U. S. Navy and probably long before that. So what’s the big deal?

Comment from Bulaklak
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:48 am

“COMBINED CELEBRITY NAMES — Celebrity duos of yore — BogCall (Bogart and Bacall), Lardy (Laurel and Hardy), and CheeChong (Cheech and Chong) — just got lucky.”

Can we banish “of yore” too? It’s stilted, silly and obnoxious.

Comment from Michael Chima
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:52 am

I agree that the American bastardization of the beauty and purity of Queen’s English must stop.

“TomKat” should be the name for a mechanical tool box and “Brangelina” sounds like the term for a disease.

May 2007 may the year for the reformation of American English.

God bless.

Comment from Priya
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:06 am

How about the word preventative? It is either preventive or nothing. I am sick of hearing the nubile nymphs on the idiot box (and I am referring to both sexes), refer to anything as preventative. Does this word even exist in the English language?

Comment from Don Tovey
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:10 am

Regarding phrases you have banned in previous years I wondered what I am suffering from after removal of my prostate. If I cannot use Erectile Dysfunction any more could it be Mycoxaflopin or some other name.
I am in the UK & most of the words or phrases you list are not in use outside of the states anyway.

Comment from John Maynard
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:10 am

It’s about time we did away with ‘we’re pregnant.’ As the proud father of three beautiful children, I never once considered myself pregnant, or told anyone that we were pregnant. My announcements ranged from ‘we’re going to be blessed with another member at our party’ to ‘we’re getting ready to prove that pretty women do sleep with ugly guys,’ but never, ‘we’re pregnant.’ All of this in spite of the fact that I gained weight and my belly got a little bigger each time.

Comment from cool
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:12 am

Cool and awesome are so overworked, it’s sickening.

Comment from James Derk
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:13 am

Can you consider the word several, as this word is so over used by the media and others to describe anything but something that contains seven, such as a couple - 2 -, a few - three or more, and many which would inclue all others, but not several. Because several means seven and nothing else!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment from CHARLES WOLFE
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:13 am

Let’s get rid of “(you’re) Good to go!” is that the opposite of bad-to-stay??? It’s so 90’s… Dump it!

Another: “Reality TV”…. what an oxymoron of the meillenium. Reality, in nthe global sense is a picture of a cancer-ridden 60-yr old chinese woman plowing a rice field staring at an Ox’s butt 16 hours a day. I know, i live in China, and I know reality. The mindless twats you see on those shows are so fake it makes Paris Hilton seem human!!!

Comment from SAM COPLEY
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:15 am

I think the term, I’m like, I was like, they were like is rather
corny also. People are lazy, and do not want to use the
dictionary to find more useful words.

Comment from The Professor
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:18 am

The ultimate and worst? When you hear “facts” reported on any major news network and the source is……. “a high-ranking government official.” I’d like to meet this person.

Comment from Deana Watson
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:19 am

This is the first time that I have seen your list and I really like it. My husband and I enjoy commenting on the misuse of our language! I don’t agree with all your selections but I definitely like your having the list. Comedians, like Gallagher and James Gregory, have feeding frenzies over this stuff.
The above comments raise some specific responses from me, they are:
1. Sorry VLS, I have never heard of chillax. It does sound as you describe though.
2. Joe, I like your last observation on the difference between cinemas and theaters, unfortunately, cinema is basically an extinct word now. I know of no one that uses it anymore.
3. Noel, I AGREE 100%! Emphatically! The word troop(s) is hugely misused! Can’t say it enough.
4. DHG, you are right again. Reminds me of ‘ebonics’. Clean it up folks.
LSSU, keep it up.

Comment from Joseph
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:21 am

Re: “Now playing in theaters”

This actually shouldn’t be on the list, as it’s used to differentiate between something playing in a building one must travel to, vs. something available for purchase on DVD. Completely logical, considering that both options are advertised. If the judges insisted on including this phrase, it really should have been a tie with “Now on DVD.”

However, since I was a child I have loathed the term “movie”; it’s an asinine throwback to the early days of the 20th century, coined to describe the new medium of “moving pictures.” Using “film” is just more intelligent sounding, albeit intelligence is no longer a coveted attribute in the U.S. Also, speaking as one who works in the live theatrical arts, a film is shown in a “cinema”; a “theatre” [or “theater”] is where I ply my trade.

Comment from Dennis
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:22 am

George Parker said it the best… ex jock…. but isn’t “ex-jock” an entry on the list? Once a jock, always a jock? Seriously…. add any sports person who misaligns the comparative and superlative adjectives to the list with a something like this….. “He is the better one of all the athletes on the team….”

Comment from Glenn
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:28 am

Actually I think actual should be added to your actural list. Weatherforecasters, news reporters, sports commentators, guests on talk shows and many others I can’t actually remember use this actual word enough times in a sentence to make me actually want to puke!

Comment from Dennis
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:28 am

OK OK…. Add one more phrase please…. at sporting events, “To honor America, please stand and remove your head gear….” Head Gear??????

Comment from Erin Harris
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:28 am

Gone/Went Missing - As was pointed out in another comment, this is an import. It isn’t a “British snobbism,” however. In Britain, it’s widely used by all social classes. The snobbery, if any, is that of non-Brits who adopt the phrase. There can always be an element of snobbery in using foreign expressions, but some people legitimately have a foot in each culture. As far back as the mid-1990s, when I last lived in the U.K., the existence of a language called “Trans-Atlantic” was acknowledged. Since then, this hybrid of British and American English has spread beyond major cities like London and New York, largely via films. I personally enjoy it, although it can be overdone.

Comment from Bart Mangrum
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:30 am

‘SICK’This word has been used to define something ‘cool’or ‘hip’, and frankly this word once used to define one being ill is now been overused by teeny bopper’s and MTV lemming droids.

Comment from Hank
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:32 am

Overuse and abuse of “Exlusive” - as in…

“A world exclusive on Entertainment Tonight. You will only see this on Entertainment Tonight. No one else has this! You heard it here first!” I got the point when you said “exclusive.” Like I was going to switch to Extra to see if they had the story…

Comment from Edwin long
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:40 am

In re subjects extant et al: between techno-babble and market-speak (this includes political proclamation), one cannot get an accurate statement of fact to save one’s life (Edwin Newman is rolling over in his grave). I commend Jimmy Buffet when he says (paraphrased): say what you mean and mean what you say. Register marketing people, not guns.

Comment from Ann
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:42 am

Re: “Gitmo” referring to the Naval Base in Cuba, I lived in a Navy town (New London, Conn) from 1961 thru 1967, and it was in common usage then among the sailors.

I’d like to add another one (or 2) that I find intensely irrating:

Newscasters here in Florida

1. referring to highways as, for example, “the 401″. What happened to “Route” or even “Highway”?

2. Constantly referring to the Orlando International Airport as OIA. It’s true that those are the initials of the facility. However, the airline designation is MCO. So if a person wishes to appear knowledgeable, they should use MCO. (The original commercial airport was McCoy; and prior to that, it was a military airfield.)

Comment from Chuck Langin
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:43 am

GITMO? Geez…anybody who had been in the Marines or the Navy knows Gitmo. It’s been called Gitmo for 40 years. Mostly because most of the people IN the Marines OR the Navy couldn’t pronounce Guanta-na-mo…..whatever. Me included. (I am a former Marine, too)

Comment from Judi
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:51 am

Wow!! The list is very good this year. I espescially liked “Gitmo”, “Showing In Theaters” and “Gone/went missing”.
Gitmo - the media has overused this nickname. It was a term used by the people stationed there. But, regardless of who the term “belongs to”, the meaning has been changed to degrade the military. Not everyone there abused the prisoners.
“Showing In Theaters” - A theater is for live action. A cinema is where films are shown.
Gone/went missing - cannot the media find a more descriptive word or term? Abducted, disappeared, left, ran away - gee, I guess there are other ways to say it.
Please help us do away with buzzwords!!!

Comment from Robert
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:52 am

The ‘Ask Your Doctor’ entry of course belongs. Why? Many times there is no mention of what the drug treats. It is, moreover, absurd that drug companies are marketing to the end user. There were enough hypochondria cases without ads telling people they might have something they didn’t know about (but then this is what the drug co’s are hoping for). I would also like to throw my support behind banishing ‘pwn’. Since when were typos intelligent ways to accomplish anything–including taunting someone you beat? Next on the list of these typos appears to he ‘teh’. I see it all the time, people think it is a cool way to type ‘the’. Thanks for the list.

Comment from B. Meyer
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:54 am

“Truthiness: There is a real need for this word, beyond it’s shelf-life of trendiness. So much of what is fed to the public is accepted as fact. We elect leaders based on ‘truthiness’, we buy products based on ‘truthiness’, we form opinions based on ‘truthiness’- all without digging for facts before drawing conclusions. So HOORAY for Colbert’s ‘truthiness’ - may it find a respected. lasting place in our language.

Comment from R.L. Heikes
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:00 am

Unfortunatly, “now playing in theatres” is a neccessary phrase. Ask anyone that works at a video club. The workers there are continually answering phone calls from people asking if they have the latest thatrical releases available for rent. (Sometimes they ask about films that aren’t even out yet!) So Hollywood, in a rare moment of actually listening to the grunts on the front lines of the entertainment industry, added “…in theaters” to their ads to tell ther morons where they can find the product.

Comment from BJ Miller
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:03 am

“GITMO” should actually be GTMO. It is the abbreviated naming of the air terminal that to this day appears on ticketing, baggage, etc. As an example: we refer to the Los Angeles International airport, routinely as “LAX”.
As I was stationed in GTMO (1968/1969) as a boot seaman in the US Navy; I submit that it should be correlated to the LOCATION for “GONE/WENT MISSING”. Anyone that has experienced GTMO for more than about one hour, surely will agree!

Comment from Pete Jackson
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:03 am

I can’t believe that you’ve missed the recent overuse of the word ‘icon’. Everybody seems to be an ‘icon’ of something these days!

Comment from Ed Cameron
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:06 am

The Marines called Guantanamo Bay “Gitmo” when I went into the service in 1959 and they will be calling it “Gitmo” as long as the base remains. Ban media use in this case, not the word. Actually your list is rather unimpressive this year.

Comment from s bowman
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:09 am

“person of interest” started with the dc area sniping

Comment from Mike
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:12 am

I suggest adding the phrase “I don’t think so.” It is most often used in sarcasm - when people say “I don’t think so,” they usually *know* that the subject under discussion is not so! For example, the teenager says “I’m going out tonight” and the parent answers “I don'’t think so.” It is similar to the phrases “I doubt it” and “I doubt it quite” that were used in the same way in upstate NY in the early 1960’s and soon fell out of that type of use.

Comment from dave
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:17 am

To have “gone missing” is better that to have “turned up missing” which is also commonly used. If you have “turned up”, can you still be missing?

Comment from Patricia Healton
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:21 am

Gitmo has been Gitmo for anyone in the a Navy always. I was calling the base Gitmo in 1976 so this is nothing new.

Comment from DY
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:22 am

The phrase “Sorry about THAT!” should be banished forever and ever. The phrase sounds sarcastic,cold, disrespectful and without sentiment. Unfortunately, the phrase stuck and is used adnauseam. The phrase comes from an old television series called Get Smart and was used constantly by one of the actors.

Comment from Joan Ruby
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:25 am

Please, can we do away with: “Where you at?” If that’s not a dangling participle, than I don’t know what is. I was sure it would of made your list!!

Comment from feste
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:28 am

Gitmo is a Navy term. The bay was called that by sailors when I was in the Navy in 1945; so historical usage makes the name.

Comment from Christi
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:31 am

I cant believe “baby bump” didnt make the list!! Geez, how many times did we have to hear that crap last yr??

Comment from Mike
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:35 am

Gitmo is the standard military abbreviation of a command by removing most vowels. First you are spelling it wrong, as it is not a word but i was in the Navy in the 1970’s and we called it gitmo as did the people who were in the Navy before me , so you cannot ban a word that is not a word. Do some research.

Comment from Glenn Sikes
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:44 am

Consider banning ‘ABSOLUTELY’ as a perky answer and ‘BOOTS ON THE GROUND’, my god, I’m tired of those words.

Comment from Mike
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:45 am

P.S you can see the various abbreviations for the U.S. Navy at this web site.http://www.history.navy.mil/books/OPNAV20-P1000/G.htm.

Comment from Michael Thomas
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:46 am

Seen… I seen it….the one I seen…. I seen him yesterday. Is “saw” such a bad word that we refuse to use it? Seems that, if enough people misuse grammer enough times, it will become the norm.
Trust me. I seen it happen.

Comment from Michael Thomas
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:55 am

“Hand” turns/sides. Make a left hand turn and the place is on the right hand side of the street.
What does one’s hand have to do with direction?

Comment from Rich Sajdak
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:04 am

Gitmo has been used for decades. I seem to remember a Bob Hope Christmas Show from the 50s that used the name.

Comment from Tom Cosgrove
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:10 am

GITMO, is a place, and unless you add “LA” etc., to your list, I would like “Gitmo” deleted from the list, not from usage.
Admittedly, it has acquired unsavory connotation during recent press usage — but so has LA had lots of bad press from time to time.
GITMO is an old and revered term to the Marine Corps, and should not have been tarnished by illegal use of the property by an administration conducting a bad war without regard for the constitution or rule of law.
Thanks for listening. tac

Comment from David Meyer
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:12 am

“ex-con” implies that a formerly imprisoned convicted felon has been “dissed” convicted.
“economy” misused when describing commerce. Economy is the word meaning the careful and frugal management of the home
“industry” is the prodution of material goods, excluding mining and agriculture, it does not describe other types of business.
“friendly fire” will invite the return of “unfriendly fire” which may cause “colateral damage”

Comment from Ann O’Nymous
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:16 am

I AM an advertising copywriter, with mostly pharmaceutical clients. I am lucky if I can string three words together without interference from their legal teams. One common pet peeve is that the phrase “ask your doctor” needs to be mentioned more often, or more prominently. It’s not just about “doing our marketing for us”, as Lucan suggests. It’s about letting the companies off the hook if anything goes awry. Puts the blame right back on the doc. And by the way, if you don’t like “ask your doctor”, fasten your seatbelt. Now that half the country is in HMOs, we are now suggesting people “ask their health care professional” (Some clients prefer health care provider, others think it’s too insurancey). When was the last time somebody at work told you they’d be late because they were visiting their “healthcare professional”? If pharmaceutical advertising sounds like it was not written by and for real human beings, it’s because it wasn’t. It was cobbled together by teams of soulless attorneys. It is a constant struggle between clients who tell you to write to a sixth grade reading level and attorneys who want to turn every sentence into a bloated, multi-claused disclaimer. And as long as I’m venting, I’d like to nominate “… is right for you.” As in “Ask your doctor if Protovox is right for you.” I hope you will understand if I remain anonymous … and gainfully employed.

Comment from Charlie Harpole
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:20 am

Please add “at the end of the day”, the catch phrase used by more NPR reporters than any other. If you could be on the lookout for “vis a vis”, I would appreciate it.

Comment from jd
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:21 am

EXTREME ! Extreme !
¡ extreme !
¿ extreme ?

Comment from Joe Merriweather
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:36 am

Did we forget “Home Invasion” , as though Hitlers entire Panzer division and Gestapo stormed into your home and stole everything. What about those idiot sports broadcasters when talking about an improving college team: “Untill they are as good as the Dukes, the UCLA’s, the Notre Dames of the world”, how pathetic is that? I was not aware we had more than one of each of these universities. Also, the word “closure” means nothing to a grieving family, only to law enforcement which has ended a case. Do you think a family just forgets about them?

Comment from TexasWes
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:40 am

In defense of the military (not really an intended pun–if you find one there), it sure is a lot easier to spell GITMO than Guantanamo. I was even deployed (i.e. took a business trip there) and never could get the spelling correct. It’s one of those strange words that are often misspelled, like “guacamole” or “Albuquerque”.

Comment from Samantha G.
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:44 am

This list is somewhat weak. Some words actualy(sp?) make sense, others are you ranting to rant. “Holla Back”, “Bisnach”, and “Certifided pre-owned” should be added.

Comment from A Biffer
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:49 am

I would rather “search” were not banished. I spend a large portion of my professional life teaching students to search all appropriate resources for needed information. Google is not a first choice in this process; it is certainly not the sole choice and is not synonymous with search.

Perhaps the use of “Google” as a verb would be a more appropriate choice for banishment?

Comment from TexasWes
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:51 am

OBTW (which I have to use before it gets banished), “we’re pregnant” is a biologically impossible statement to make, unless you’re talking about a lesbian New England couple who are married and have both been inseminated. Otherwise, she’s pregnant–[insert name here] is responsible.
If someone punches you in the nose, do you say “We’re bleeding”.
To “James” (above): Take my advice, “call you doctor and see if Haldol is right for you.

Comment from Greg Weible
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:56 am

I would have to agree 100% on every word listed here! I am so sick of hearing them that I cringe upon their utterance.

Comment from dean
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:58 am

GITMO has been GITMO since the Naval base has been there–dummy. You, my friend, obviously have never been in the Navy.

Comment from Lynn
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:59 am

“Whatever” needs to be added to this list. This is a catch all phrase that is used to the extreme. Also, the phrase “you know what I’m saying” — ah, no, I don’t know what you’re saying — tell me.

Comment from John Schwade
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:00 am

“Gone bad” as opposed to what? An armed robbery that remained good? A drug deal completed to the satisfaction of both parties in the transaction?

This is a callous term, suggesting as it does that the murder victim whose life has “gone bad” was at least partially responsible for his own demise because he did not adhere to some established code.

“Armed robbery / drug deal gone bad” often describes a premeditated murder that is not fully investigated or prosecuted because the murder victim is himself a criminal or has an even lower status, working behind the counter in a convenience store. (Jay Leno doesn’t ridicule the former, only the latter.)

Comment from allan kern
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:04 am

I love all of them except “Healthful” food., which is a wimpy phrase contrived by new-agers and granola-heads to sound wholistic and pure, rather than just nutritious. But “healthy” does the job just fine and rolls off the tongue wonderfully. (A grilled fish is indeed “healthy food”. A fish swimming in the sea is a “healthy fish”.)

Comment from John Walker
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:06 am

Rap and music shouldn’t be used in the same sentence.

Comment from Kip Coyote
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:08 am

Anything besides alcohol with -ic, -holic, or -aholic added to it like workaholic or chocaholic makes absolutely no sense. Rather use, “Addicted to work or chocolate.” Continue to use Cholic for Cholera-like symptoms, etc.

Comment from Jeff M
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:09 am

I’d like to ban two more phrases, please:

“got your back” and
“in harm’s ways.”

While we’re at it, can we start a list of banned GESTURES? For starters, I’d like to ban pointing at someone far away at a moment of success. Like when the high school jock gets the touchdown and points (up, reverently) at a beloved person (dad, mentor, son in wheelchair) in the stands. Help.

Comment from Lynn
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:10 am

I can’t believe “my bad” doesn’t irritate others as much as it does me….

Comment from John Walker
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:10 am

I see people have changed the phrase “couldn’t care less” to “could care less”.

well if you could care LESS then you must care a little bit!!

Comment from Kip Coyote
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:11 am

When will the VISA halftime report be brought to you by MasterCard?

Comment from Jerry Mayer
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:13 am

“Good to Go” if you feel good to go then stop telling me about it and get out of here so I don’t have to hear this again.

Comment from Clif Holcomb
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:17 am

“I mean”. It seems as if just about all commentators on TV start their commentary with this phrase before they are even asked to explain what it is that they haven’t said yet. It’s even creeping into usage in every day life. Don’t these people think that we mortals can understand what they are going to say?

Comment from ctmont
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:17 am

The term “Gitmo” has been used by sailors and marines, as far back as the 1950’s. It is a very common term in the navy.

Comment from Ernie
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:18 am

Anyone that has been in the Navy has used this word since the base was built.

Comment from James Simmer
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:22 am

I don’t think “Ask your doctor” should be be banishished, but automatically amended to “Ask your Psychiatrist”, or “Ask your Shrink”.

Comment from Dan Shumway
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:26 am

Why is specific worse? “Illegal” alien doesn’t specify the offense, whereas “undocumented” provides an important detail. Do we say “illegal citizen” when an American has violated some specific law?

Comment from Mer
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:27 am

Hmm. This list isn’t as sharp as most of the previous ones. Also, I don’t see “bump” listed. As in, “Looks like (insert female celebrity name here) is sporting a baby bump under her (insert name of designer) gown at this year’s (insert name of annual media event.) I think it’s a really yucky descriptor that became really overused in a hurry.

Comment from Mario
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:31 am

Meltdown. everything that went wrong was a meltdown. Meltdown is irreversible. Once it is finished, it does not revert back to its original state.

Comment from Jim Coleman
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:33 am

1. Your website contained: “See more bannished words by clicking the link below:” What does “bannish” mean? Oh, shame! Oh, shame!
2. When did Guantanamo Bay become Gitmo? At least in the Fifties. It is the Navy compression. To reduce the length of messages, the Navy has for many years compressed names. Consider COMSUBLANT, Commander of Submarines Atlantic.
3. Truthiness was a joke. Guess you folks missed the point Colbert was making.
3. Gone or Went Missing is British. It is an idiom similar to Tell Time.
4. Google. No worse than Kleenex, Elevator, Escalator, Xerox, and many other brands that have become generics.
Agreed. This year’s was a poor list. There were ever so many other words that stink in the ear. (See the Viennese critic Eduard Hanslick’s review of the premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto for that example of synesthesia.) But, maybe I am “old school.”

Comment from Mike
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:34 am

Quite frankly, about half of the words on this list are idiotic. In fact, the only ones, out of this list, that are deserving to make the list are “i-anything”, “drug deal gone bad”, “undocumented alien” (this word should never have existed, they’re illegal aliens), the combined celebrity names (those are utterly ridiculous), “we’re pregnant,” and, to an extent, “pwned.” I especially disagree with your placement of truthiness on this list, as it is a word on the rise, and has been mentioned on many prominent television shows, and of course, was named “Word of the Year” by many different sources, and Colbert has, in merely one year, become one of the most celebrated entertainers currently on TV.

Comment from Bo Fahs
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:35 am

What an awesome list, boasting lots of entries that should be Gitmo-ed! It’s like a WillWill list from Safire and Shortz . These words should have already gone missing from my search engine.

You guys are like the iGrammarians of the age - the undocumented lexicographers of the internet! Aks your doctor - he’ll agree the story of your success should be showing in thaters soon!

Comment from Daniel Pense
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:42 am

On the Pwned thing..

I just want to state that it’s short for perfectly owned.

D

Comment from Tina Michalski
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:47 am

Whenever the weather gets nasty you can be sure someone will be “hunkered down” in the area of the storm. Once hurricane season begins so does the hunkering!

Comment from Joe Macri
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:52 am

“Search” Yeh. I think ill go “google” my dog after he escaped from my from my fenced yard. Maybe the internet results will bring him back to me. Real nice word to banish, you geeks.

Comment from Gail Otteson
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:53 am

I’d love it if you added a search engine. That way I can find out whether you’ve banned the use of “architect” as a verb. What’s wrong with “designing,” “creating,” or “developing” something?

Comment from PEARLAND TEXAS
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:00 am

The following words are heard everytime I’m talking to somebody or watching TV.

SPACE-On any HGTV show a room is now called space. “What would you like to see happen to this space?” Whatever happened to the word room?

WINDOW TREATMENT-I remember when we called them curtains or drapes.

ARTWORK-How about when you used to hang a picture on the wall? Now everything is artwork.

FABULOUS & AWESOME & AMAZING-I’m so sick of hearing these 3 words I don’t even want to talk about them.

GOIN ON HERE-This is phrase spoken by Rachael Ray almost everytime she is on TV. “I got a little garlic and EVOO goin on here.”

Comment from Y
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:04 am

What about “Blog”? I HATE THAT WORD! All you hear are “bloggers have reacted to the news about blah blah” “read my blog to see what I have to say about it”

How about get a life and I don’t care what you have to say…..

Comment from Mike Gibson
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:09 am

I noticed that the phrase “after 911″ has begun to be used in many many conversations and news commentaries. It is, unfortunately getting as much recognition as the birth of Christ as a date to notate significant change in human history. I’m not sure if it should be banished yet, but it is getting on my nerves when I hear it. I wish we could use the phrase “after the death of Bin Laden”.

Comment from Craig Anderson
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:14 am

Hi there!

Having worked in a video store in the late 80s, I can definitely attest to the usefulness of “Now Playing in Theaters”.

Having to tell little old ladies: “Yes, dearie, you can watch REAL movies on the new VCR that your children bought you, but you won’t be able to see that new heartwarming Tom Hanks movie on video for another 6 to 8 months because it was just released in THEATERS…” became somewhat of a job description.

“But the TV said that movie came out TODAY …”. [sigh]

Hopefully VCRs and DVD players are not “new technology” by now, though, and the little old ladies who became so confused with the idea of a “release date” have long since gone to that big video store in the sky …

Comment from Drew Boatright
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:14 am

Awesome?
I am truly offended that anyone would consider extracting this gym from their vocable repertoire. Awesome is the universal spokesword for objects, events, and really anything that unifies the species Homosapian. Whoever discounts awesome from everyday optimistic speech should themselves be banished!

Comment from Billy Earl
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:15 am

Please strike the word “like” in all it’s forms and derivations from this Earth as it has been overused and inserted into normally complete sentences with an Anti-Christ like regularity. Good night and good luck.

Comment from Chad Morin
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:15 am

GIT R’ DONE: If I hear one more slack jawed redneck who thinks they are being witty by using this burned out term I’m moving to the North Pole!

Comment from Mike Haase
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:17 am

“Live” as in broadcasting live versus broadcasting dead! What does “live” do for you when taped or no acknowledgment at all would be fine.

Comment from Teresa
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:20 am

Lol omg lmfao rofl are probably used more than any word in America. I think they should make the list also. Also the word “like”. So many teenagers make me want to kick them in the face for using the word. “Like I dunno, like she went to the mall with me and like that dress didn’t look that good on her”, *vomits*.

Pnwed is used a lot by losers that can’t seem to spell,or just trying to look cool to their internet friends. It really makes no sense at all.

Ask your doctor- those ads cause me to fling poop at the tv. Ask my doctor to prescribe something to me. He/she is the doctor. They should know whats on the market and should know well enough what my body needs in order to be well. I’m not paying them for nothing.

Comment from Tristram
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:24 am

Particulary grating is the uncommonly common misuse of the reflexive pronoun “myself” instead of the objective pronoun “me” or worse, the subjective form “I”.

Comment from rich brown
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:25 am

Ya Know what I think should be banned besides “see what Im sayin”. Ya Know

Comment from Michael
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:27 am

We should eradicate every single word, phrase or vanilla-coated allusion used by, or even remotely associated with the six amoebic-brained, attention whores whose lives are so echoingly empty they still insist on being “P.C.”

Achieve this and the rest of us can enjoy our New Year.

Comment from Michael
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:27 am

AWESOME: when I hear that word i think “drug test”. Awe Inspiring is fine, just whenever I’m in city places the word Awesome becomes a social filler word. No real conversation and no real meaning. To paraphrase what Lenny Bruce said, use a word often enough out of context and the meaning wears out.

Comment from tess
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:29 am

I would love to never hear again “ya know what I’m sayin.” I want to ask “do you KNOW what you’re saying”?

Comment from Mike Freeman
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:29 am

The late Rich Mullins wrote “Our God is an awesome God.” Praise the Lord! Since then, the Christian community has taken to referring to everything from the meat loaf served at the Wednesday night supper to the updated typeface in the Sunday bulletin as “awesome.” Brothers and Sisters, let’s don’t strip the word of its true meaning.

Comment from Luanne
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:36 am

Am I bummed about the 2007 list? Absolutely!
I can’t believe “absolutely” did not make the list this year. It is the most overused word I have been hearing at work, on the news, and in general conversation. “Exactly” is next on my list.

Comment from Anne
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:41 am

Amen on the celebrity names. I agree “Brangelina” does sound idiotic and lame! And lazy too. Can’t you just say “Brad and Angelina”? Geez.

And amen on the “undocumented immigrants”! Political correctness has gotten incredibly out of hand in this country. Add to the banished list, “_____-American”- Fill in the blank with any ethnicity or country. Stupid!

Comment from tess
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:43 am

I would love to never hear again:
“ya know what I’m sayin.”
“In my opinion”
“First of all”

If you have to ask someone what you are talking about than maybe you should not say it.
Of course it is your opinion - you are the one saying it.
First of all don’t.

Comment from Grant Sumich
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:57 am

The wonderfully jaunty word, GITMO, sounds obsequiously quaint - as if maybe it’s the name of a small town where everyone gets along. How charming.

Comment from Calvin
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:08 pm

I was stationed at “Gitmo” for a year in 1974/75. For over 30 years I have refered to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as Gitmo and will continue to do so. Just because the media has over used the word, it will not stop me from refering to it as such.
The name has been around longer than most people reading this article.

Comment from Tom
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:15 pm

I’d like to nominate the word “fresh” as used in “Baked fresh daily.” Can anything be “baked stale?” Also, when used in, “fresh scent” and especially, “country fresh scent” in describing air fresheners, dryer sheets, etc. To me, “country fresh scent” means the odor of chicken coops and pig farms.

Comment from dan
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:16 pm

I agree with all, though do wonder : ‘like’ why wasnt ‘like’ this word added to the list ‘like’ maybe it should or ‘like’ made the top of the list ?– have heard conversations with younger persons using ‘like’ a comma (,) but after nearly every other 2-3-4 words in a one liner or in a complete conversation (where when and how did ‘it’ start not by our educators ) ????

Comment from Kevin Dunn
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:23 pm

Gitmo, Are you sure this didn’t come from the Rolling Stones? I cant gitmo satisfaction?

Comment from Rob
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:24 pm

Wow, how about “nit-picky” or “no fun” and “lack of sense of humor”…such as Jim Turner and Joe (two of the first posters on this site) are very nit picky and no fun and they obviously have no sense of humor…not that we need to ban these phrases though.

On to the banned words, I love the list…

Definately Chipotle, that word drives me nuts, especially when Bobby Flay is on TV, he can’t cook anything without using it.

PWN and PWND, I hate the fact that people that can’t type/spell or don’t have enough self respect to correct their spelling can make a word(s) that have become pseudo-mainstream…”i pwn u newbie”…huh, what, English??

Also, please add “git-er-done”.

Comment from terry
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:29 pm

“Be Blessed” “Have a Blessed Day” Where did this phase come from? Are you trying to let people know that you’re religious or just stupid? Blessed is to make holy by religious rite; sanctify.

People please buy a dictionary.

Comment from Lorna Davignon
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:29 pm

I am almost sick to death by the phrase, “dead body”. If you see a body it is dead, otherwise, it is an injured person on the ground.

I am also upset having the phrase of, “you and I” at the end of a sentence. George & I had a good time at the fair.(good)
We all had a good time, including George & I. (Bad) it should be George & me.

Comment from Larry
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:30 pm

A chipotle is a smoked jalapeno, and has a different flavor than a jalapeno because of the smoking/drying process, just as barbeque is smoked meat with a different flavor. This type of pepper has been around much longer than any of us, and has it’s application is cooking just the same as any other variation of food. Chipotles date back to region that is now northern Mexico City, prior to the Aztec civilization. It is conjectured that the Aztecs smoked the chilies because the thick, fleshy, jalapeno was difficult to dry and prone to rot. The Aztecs used the same “smoke drying” process for the chilies as they used for drying meats. This smoking allowed the chilies to be stored for a substantial period of time. Today Chipotles are used widely throughout Mexico as well as in the United States. Quite popular in the South Western U.S. and California; Chipotles have found their way into the cuisine of many celebrity chefs from Hawaii to Manhattan. As much as one fifth of the Mexican jalapeno crop is processed into chipotles. What’s the problem?

Comment from Lynn
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:31 pm

I agree with Tony. Undocumented alien means the lack of documenation which is not a criminal offense, it is a civil offense and the outcome is not prison or fines but deportation.
Unfortunately, the misunderstanding of the status of immigration in this country has stirred up bigotry. It should be noted that many people who qualify for documentation need to wait 10-25 years “in line” it get their documentation. If you family was starving what would you do?

Comment from Jason
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:36 pm

First off, what needs to be banned are lists that ban words.
I don’t know about you but I love the ever evolving language we have come to have. I’m sorry if you people can’t handle a new term comming in on a word. You guys remind me of a bunch of wild dogs fighting over a carcus. trying to get your little piece. Its people like you, is the reason why wars start. The people who came up with this list are stupid, and unable to evolve. Now my two cents for Tory Rowley of Corunna, Michigan. You need to get your facts straight before posting something you are obviously are not aware of. The word Pwn is not.. I repeat Not a typo. It is 2 words put together to make 1. Its obviously evident that your not a gamer. So how can you put your two cents in on something you are not aware of? Pwn consists of pure and own put together. Also could refer to being as purely owned, or purely own ect. I “purely owned” you. Or “You purely own”.
Depends how its used. But it is not a typo. I assure you it is intentional. And hey I have alot more words that you can’t stop me from using and will continue to do so..

Comment from Dan
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:37 pm

I believe all gaming speak, should be subject to flogging if used. I cant stand some of the lazy typing. The ones that really make me crazy are as follows: LOL, LOLZ, lawl, ROFL, ROFLMAO, R, U, NE1, SUM1, PLZZZZZ, Teh, OMG, ZOMG, L33T, R0xx0r, etc. You get the idea. These people should be demoted from the human race, and beaten to within an inch of their lives.

Comment from Vickie
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:37 pm

I am really bored to death when someone comes around and everything is “like” .
I was shopping like the other day,and I looked around as I was like dude did you see that girl,she was like hot man,And then we were all like man this is way too cool. It makes ones look completely stupid.

Comment from wm. deweert
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:39 pm

issue(s), issue(s), issue(s), issue(s), issue(s), issues(s), issue(s), issue(s), issue(s), issue(s), issue(s), issue(s), issue(s) !!!
!!!#&**%xx!@&^+?/

Comment from Jason
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:42 pm

Besides this list is a waste of our hard earned tax Dollars. I’m sure alot of people will agree. if you don’t go buy a car or something and crash it.

Comment from zzrbelle
Time: January 1, 2007, 12:53 pm

Don’t forget the term “E.D.”, as in; “Are you ’suffering’ from?” It sounds too much like “V.D.”, as in; “Don’t tell me a toilet seat!” How about “Erunktion” ? That sounds much better. That sounds manly.

Comment from Rob
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:06 pm

Search: “Might as well banish it. The word has been replaced by ‘google.’” — Michael Raczko, Swanton, Ohio.

The word being banished and the word “replacing” it should be reversed.

Comment from Lynn Riggs
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:18 pm

When a person places my food in front of me at a resturant, they inevitably say, “There you go.” I wonder where they think I have gone, or perhaps they viewed far too many “McCloud” reruns.

“Grow my business,” or anything else for that matter. Perhaps I wish to expand my business by adjusting how I run it to improve my profits. Speaking of profits, what about “profitability?”

I spied a realators highway billboard at Ironwood, Michigan which stated that their business was, “Distinctly Different.”
Is this not redundant?!

Explain to me what “Infrastucture” means.

“Redeploy.” Does this not infer retreat.
“No Outlet.” This, at one time was known as a “Dead End.”
There exists a very long list of New Speak vocabulary which I find troubling as it represents a possible emergence of an “Orwellian Society.”

De Colores, Lynn

Comment from Karen Oliver-Paull
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:19 pm

The phrase that gets on my last nerve comes from news anchors. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard them say “often times” instead of “often”. For goodness sakes! Often is an old contraction of oft times. So often times means oft times times. Often is enough, often times is too much.

Comment from Tim
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:24 pm

After having stopped checking the list for a while, I’m glad to see that you have gotten away from the anti administration/establishment tone that you fell into a few years ago.

The list is fun again!

Comment from E
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:27 pm

I can’t believe more people didn’t mention the abuse of the word “impact.” Every pinhead in the English-speaking world seems to use this word as a verb, as in “Those impacted by this decision include…” Use either “affect” or “effect.”

Another trend that is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me: Celebs starting to answer questions from talk show hosts with the phrase “I Aaaamm!” or “I Diiiid!” before expounding on the event.

Comment from Barfy
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:47 pm

“Turned up missing” is a funny oxymoron.

I’d put “democracy” and “freedom” on the list because of chronic abuse by politicians.

Comment from JimTn
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:49 pm

I’m getting so sick of the word “snap.” My eight-year-old nephew says it to replace any excalmation.

Comment from Someone Smarter Than You
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:51 pm

Ya know, people are starving around the world and you’re concerned about what words we used. Screw you all for being lamethetic.

Comment from John F. McIlray
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:56 pm

Obviously, none of you watched enough Inspector Morse mysteries. Gone or went missing is a correctly used British term, and finally stupid American reporters have begun to use it correctly. Might I suggest you check with the folks at the “Times” in London before you add things to your silly list.

Comment from Bob * from Indiana
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:58 pm

Please the consider adding the improper use of the word axed (asked) to your list. It makes me cringe when I hear someone say something like, “ He axed (asked) me where I live”. If this was the case he’s probably going to jail. I propose a $100 fine for misuse of this word and $200 for uttering it on TV.

Comment from Laura Sprague, a Navy Junior
Time: January 1, 2007, 1:59 pm

The acronym GITMO (GTMO) was formerly confined to military use and has been the code name for Guantanamo Bay since the US Navy has occupied the site. It has now become much overused by the media since it was made into a form of concentration camp for Arab and other terrorists by the United States.

Comment from UVASEG
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:02 pm

Thanks for adding “Wer’e pregnant”. When I found out I was pregnant this was said to me and after reading all of the physical things I was about to go through and about labor I wanted to scream!

Comment from Doug
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:05 pm

“Accident”

Let’s start taking accountability for our actions here. Insurance companies find certain individuals liable, and so should you. These “accidents” are most likely preventable. Let’s start calling them “collisions” or “incidents”.

“Suicide Bomber”

Unless they’re the only one involved, it’s more like a “Manslaughter Bomber”, “Terror Bomber”, or even “Innocent Victim Bomber”.

Comment from Glenn
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:10 pm

Guantanamo was “Gitmo” in 1959 when I joined the Navy and I can’t see any reason to change it now just because some “lifer civilian” doesn’t approve.

Comment from Lynn Riggs
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:32 pm

I’m back,

This internet “page” is now listed as one of my favorites.
If you will allow me to add another comment before I log out of this site, I would appreciate it.

As a United States Navy Veteran, I would like to ask Stan Dobbs; when did the United States Navy open a Veteranarian rating? Historically “Vet.” has been a shortened word meaning an Animal Doctor.

Another overused word is “Outstanding.” If I were a bovine, I would be out standing in my field.

That is all for the time being.

Happy New Year!

Comment from Thomas N.
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:38 pm

I have known Guantonamo Bay Naval Base as GITMO Since 1960, not exactly new.

Comment from Philbert J Thrombockle
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:41 pm

“Let’s face it” should make the all-time list, particularly as the first words of a news story or magazine article. It’s a sign of an unimaginative writer. There must be some other way to get that idea across.

One problem with any of the words or phrases is that many of them were good when used by the author have been adopted, simply because they were good when first used. For example, “jumped the shark” was clever–at first–but has now, uh, jumped the shark. “Truthiness,” as a description of something that has the aura of truth but may not be true, is an example of overuse becoming misuse.

Another nominee for the list: “Mr. Bush,” used by bitter liberals and certain news media individuals (but I repeat myself–yes, that’s possibly overused) who can’t get over the legal election of George W. Bush as president of the United States. I don’t remember, for example, General Eisenhower suddenly becoming Mr. Eisenhower. He became President Eisenhower. The same applies to President Kennedy, President Johnson, President Nixon, President Ford (who never was referred to as “Mr. Ford” this past weekend), President Carter, President Reagan, President Bush, President Clinton… But suddenly I turn on the nightly news and I hear “Mr. Bush.” Why?

And yes, “W” is getting old, but as I remember, it was used first to distinguish Bush the son from Bush the father, and then to mock the Clinton White House employees who removed the letter W from White House keyboards as part of the transition process. However, I wonder if the second President (not Mr.) Adams had to endure being called “Q”.

(I would have used an “emoticon,” but those are overused too).

Comment from Rebecca
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:51 pm

OK, one more.. while we are banning words… can we also, please, please PLEASE ban the use of the apostrophe before every plural noun ending with “s”…???

ATTENTION AMERICA: The apostrophe is only used if:

1) the word is a POSSESSIVE– (as in: the girl’s coat)
2) the word is a CONTRACTION– (as in: let us do that= let’s do
that)

The time has come to put forth a concentrated effort in every school in America to put an end to this stupidity. There is no excuse for grown adults to be doing this. But maybe the next generation can be saved!

Comment from Brian
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:52 pm

What about “It is what it is”? Makes me vomit every time I hear it and it means absolutely nothing.

Comment from Kristin H
Time: January 1, 2007, 2:54 pm

Banning “truthiness”? The whole point was that the word was made up in *satire*. It isn’t a word and never was. The “character” Stephen Colbert is the only one who uses it and is serious about it. Come on. You can’t find more worthy candidates than a comedic non-word? And take Gitmo off–that’s Army speak and their business. Just because civilians picked it up and use it as if they’re Army, that’s their deal.

How about MUCH worse offenders: “24/7″, “amazing” (god, the overuse of that word is astonishing; it is now meaningless), “that’s hot” (and indeed any “Paris-ism”), egads. The list is endless.

Comment from Carmelita
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:04 pm

Gitmo - In Britain, a “git” is a particularly glaring example of a male idiot - male because the word “git” is slang for a particular portion of the female anatomy, and we all know that there is nothing more insulting for a male than to be compared to a female, whatever part is highlighted.

Therefore, Gitmo makes it sound like there are just mo’ gits there than other places.

Comment from My Cat Is An Orange Tabby
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:04 pm

Assorted thoughts:

There may be valid reasons to banish “went missing,” but the one offered is not among them: “It makes ‘missing’ sound like a place you can visit, such as the Poconos.” In fact, it doesn’t make “missing” sound like that, because the phrase in question isn’t “went to missing.” (And the compared phrase isn’t “went Poconos.”) The locutions are not parallel.

The verb “go” does not mean only “to travel.” It can also mean “to become.” I wonder if the “went missing” protesters here harbor similar antagonism toward such expressions as “The room went quiet” or “Hitler went mad.”

Now, there is at least one legitimately ban-worthy use of the word “go”: in the sense of “to utter.” (”I asked Britanny for a ride, and she goes, ‘No way!’”) But there isn’t anything conspicuously 2006-ish about that usage, and so it doesn’t belong on this list.

That principle should be heeded by those complaining about the word “awesome.” They’re missing the point of these annual lists: to identify and highlight words and expressions that have taken on particular currency during their respective years. “Awesome” didn’t make some notable breakthrough in 2006. That battle needed to be fought during the 1980s. (Indeed it was, and it was lost.)

Finally: It’s nice to see such passion about language, as illustrated by the volume and fervor of the comments here. I just wish the respondents were a little more pedantic about their own communication. The combination of bad grammar, poor diction and sloppy typing on display here is a bit appalling.

Comment from Rick
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:12 pm

Two words that seem to be everywhere in conversation, the office, television and commercials have become a disease. We all know about “like” in every teenager’s vocabulary. How about the adult equivalent of using “basically” and “actually” in practically every sentence?

Just scan through this entire posting for the word “actually” and see how many times it comes up!

Comment from Joe Steinberger
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:12 pm

Your preference for “illegal alien” is just a statement of hatred. A person is not illegal, an act is. “Illegal immigrant” means something, since it suggests that the immigration was illegal. Perhaps you prefer the word alien to immigrant since it sounds so much nastier. What you apparently want to say is “criminal alien.” Perhaps you should just go all out for “dirty stinking criminal alien scum.”

Comment from Christopher J. Carlson
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:20 pm

What annoys me are film trailers that say, “Opening January 1st *everywhere*.” Well, I know it won’t necessarily be opening here. Also, “Now playing *everywhere*.” Hmmm… I definitely know it’s not playing here. “At a theatre near you,” is not as bad, but depending on where one lives, “near” is relative.

Anyhoo… (More people seem to be using the word “anyhoo”, but it’s a signature of mine that I’ve used for many years. I end most of my messages with the word. It annoys me when I see others using it. Anyhoo…)

Comment from Mike
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:23 pm

Now, “Truthiness” is commonly misused, that is true. In fact, truthiness is truth that comes from your gut, not from a book. Many less Colbert-savvy folks think that it is merely a fun word used in place of truth, but in fact it is not. Therefore, you have no grounds to ban it, as the misuse is by ignorant people. I can think of other words that would be good on this list, such as “bears,” “Pelosi,” “California’s 50th District,” “Clinton,” and “Democrat.”

Comment from Kim T
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:24 pm

I started a list similar this on my blog (that my cat reads) — so I would like to add “clinically proven” under the “ask your doctor.”– If I see one more pseudo-medcal things out there where the actor feigns a medical or scientific position by wearing a lab coat, I am going to start using “like” as every part of spoken language.

–Kim

Comment from Liz
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:26 pm

“Google” has replaced “search”??? Why didn’t “Google” as a verb make the banned list? How about “amazing”—the all-encompassing adjective of actors describing their “craft”?

Comment from AJ
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:29 pm

Translate the simplistic “my bad” to the more sophisticated sounding Latin “mea culpa.” Problem solved.

Comment from Larry
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:35 pm

Cute list but I’ve seen better. But impressive is the interest shown. New Years Day finds a lot of people not interesed in football but with nothing to do. Does anyone think that is really Stephen Colbert. If any of this stuff shows up on The Report this week we will know. How about bringing back some old irritating words. In the vein of truthiness (which I like if used judiciously) is FACTOID. We have heard a lot of them in the last half decade. They sound real but not really.

Comment from Mimi
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:38 pm

How about the use of “No problem” in lieu of “You’re Welcome”?! The former seems to be the preferred reply today, especially for anyone under 30.

Comment from J.Critchlow
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:44 pm

how about “point in time” or “more importantly” yeach! it hurts just to type them

Comment from Sarah Cannon
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:47 pm

I am so glad that someone agrees with me that “we” do not get pregnant. When I had my daughter there was no “we” about it. “I” am the one still sportiing the stretch marks!

Comment from SRC
Time: January 1, 2007, 3:56 pm

Will someone please add “boussy” to the list. The word is boussior (I may be spelling it wrong, but the pronunciation is BOOS-wa.) If you cannot correctly say a fancy French word (or a plain old English one for that matter) then don’t try and incorperate it into your speech.

Comment from Philbert J Thrombockle
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:03 pm

Additionally, regarding “in harm’s way,” it ain’t nuthin’ new:

“The phrase comes from America’s Revolutionary War naval hero John Paul Jones. In a letter dated Nov. 16, 1778, he wrote, “I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm’s way.'’ He was in France at the time, seeking a ship, and the French offered him several vessels that had been captured from the British. He finally took the ship which he named ‘Bonhomme Richard.’”
Credit Jewish Review

So perhaps it’s trite, but only to those who really don’t appreciate it. One can’t be more Navy than John Paul Jones, and no doubt every sailor knows what it means.
Sorry, Charlie, you won’t see it leave common parlance soon.

Incidentally, comedian Bill Engval thinks “awesome” is overused and gives several examples in a comedy routine, concluding that if he were to back to his hotel room after the show to find “Shania Twain at the door wearing nothing but a fur coat and a smile and a note from my wife saying ‘Have a good time,’ THAT would be awesome. It ain’t gonna happen. But that would be awesome.”

Comment from Robert Jackson
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:05 pm

My grandfather entitled a 1922 letter to my grandmother “Notes from GITMO.” It isn’t just some trendy nickname. We called it GITMO when I was stationed there in the 1970’s also. You people should really consider doing some basic research.

Comment from henry cowan
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:14 pm

Can I nominate “gangbanger”? It began life as a synonym for a participant in a group, serial or gang rape of a female. The most flagrant being the rape on a pool table by a gang of thugs in Portsmouth(?) Mass. The term has somehow come to define any member of a street gang.

Comment from Rick
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:15 pm

How could “on the ground” possibly have been missed? Everything in Iraq/Afghanistan/wherever occurs “on the ground” now. Apparently if it isn’t specified that someone is “on the ground” in Iraq, we must presume that they’re maybe in the sky, under water, maybe in outer space.

Comment from George Gordon
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:15 pm

As an addendum to “we’re pregnant,” I’d add the word “preggers.” Slang is generally only useful to the extent that it’s a code word or abbreviation. Preggers is neither. It’s just as many words and consonants as “pregnant” and there’s no mystery about its meaning. Just say “pregnant,” you fools.

Comment from Shannon
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:31 pm

Re: “illegal aliens”…. how can a person be “illegal”? A person can be “here illegally,” but if we’re going to say people are “illegal” or “legal,” shouldn’t we use it for anyone who has broken a law? As in, “Oh, no, I’m illegal! I was traveling 60 miles per hour in a 45 mile-per-hour zone!”

Comment from Miranda
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:41 pm

A few more to add to ‘compelling’:

The term ‘unwell’ to describe every medical condition from a headache to terminal illness and even extreme psychosis.

‘Quagmire’ relating to a conflict that is proving to be difficult to resolve.

‘I went’ to mean I felt, or I thought or I said, often coupled with the dreaded ‘like’: “I saw this hot guy and I went, like, “WOW!”

‘Kills flies dead’

‘Absolutely unique’

The word ‘that’ used to describe a person: ‘The man that owns the house’.

‘The car failed to take the bend’. Blame the car; after all, it has a mind of its own.

Comment from ron
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:43 pm

truthiness is not only a hilarious self contained joke but is a useful concept for media criticism. it seems the writer’s don’t even know the definition of chipolte.

this list doesn’t seem well thought out, especially as a product of the academe. I i have to wonder what the lake superior english department is like…yikes.

Comment from Frizzy_Kitty
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:47 pm

“My Bad”
- It wasn’t funny the first time a Wayans brother said it 4 years ago, it’s especially not funny when middle-aged white women say it today. It’s not funny, cute, cool or hip. It’s over, give it up. I picture your IQ to be somewhere in the double digits when I hear this come out of your mouth.

“Bling Bling”
- See above.

“Baby Bump”
- Shut. Up. Shut up! Stop it, right now, I mean it. I don’t care what drooling moron coined this phrase, don’t be the bigger idiot for continuing to use it. I hear this and worry that you are regressing into infantile behavior, and that it’s only a matter of time before you are communicating entirely via monosyllabic baby gibberish. Goo-Goo!

“Whatever”
- This is not an answer to a question. It’s not a catch-all abbreviation that can replace actual conversation. It tells me that you are so mentally frustrated with the topic at hand that you are unable to express yourself with language, which makes me think that you are stupid.

“Yadda Yadda Yadda”
- See above. (Also, Seinfeld, 10 years ago, tired, boring, etc.) I can’t believe people still say this. Why not bring back “Where’s The Beef?” while you’re at it?

“Off The Hook”
- Welcome to 5 years ago, can I interest you in our worn-out catch-phrase of the day? (And speaking of “Welcome to…” that’s another one for the trash.)

“Got Your Back”
- Did I wake up in the middle of a TV police drama and you’re my edgy anti-hero sidekick? We fight crime while breaking all the rules- much to the chagrin of our cranky, cigar puffing, mustachioed police chief? No? We still work in an office and the edgiest thing you’ve ever done is make a portrait of Borat on your cubicle wall with multi-colored post-it notes? Consider this scenario: Until you are ready to defend my life against the Yakuza Crime Family in a dirty alley over a drug-related undercover sting operation gone wrong, why don’t you just talk like a normal person and say something like… “I’d be glad to help you.”

“Female” (As in, “We’re going to the club to pick up some females.”)
- Let’s set the feminist movement back 20 years with the misappropriation of one word! Hooray! Women are still not hunks of meat, property, or second class citizens. You want to call them by a generic sexist term and dehumanize them? Then go live in Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia and join the rest of the human rights abusers.

Comment from Libertine
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:47 pm

I abhor “we’re pregnant”. It’s so cutesie-poopsie that I want to throw up.

Here’s a few for next year’s list:

“prolly” — purposeful misspelling of probably. We don’t even SAY it that way.

“teh” — purposeful misspelling of the. Seeing it once is funny, seeing it consistently is annoying.

“impact” — when used to mean “affect” or “influence”.

“solutions” — used in recent years as part of business names. “Sleep Solutions” for a mattress company, “Car Solutions” for a used car lot, “Senior Solutions” for an adult day car center.

“hot” — when used to mean sexy. Sexy is sexy and hot needs an air-conditioner.

“Free gift” — if it’s a gift, then of course it’s free. Who ever heard of a gift you had to pay for?

“Flavorful” — as used in grocery store ads. Just because something is full of flavor, it doesn’t necessarily follow that it is a GOOD flavor.

“Garden apartment” — Used to describe a type of apartment. Trouble is, whenever I’ve seen one of those, there is never a garden anywhere on the premises.

“Spacious” — another overused real estate word.

“Artist” — when used to refer to a musician, singer, or band. These are three precise words to describe a musical performer, where “artist” is more vague. Let’s reserve artist for the visual arts.

Any concocted word ending in -licious — Delicious is fine, anything else is cringe-worthy.

Comment from Sidney M. Zorkowski
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:52 pm

Missed ‘Basically’ again. How long are we to endure the reign of this misconstrued deception? When people us the word, ‘basically’ they want you to ignore all other facts on the matter and belief them with out reservation. As in ‘ . . . basically we didn’t mean to end up in bed together . . . ‘

When people use the word, ‘basically’ they demonstrate ignorance through their inability to concisely describe a condition or situation. So ‘basically’ they are knuckle dragger’s.

As for ‘we’re pregnant’ isn’t that a means for the guy to declare he’s ’screwed’ . . . . for about 21 years on the short side. If all works out well . . . for life. For guys utter this phrase; you resign your testes to a unused business reply envelope at the bottom of your wives make up drawer for the rest of your life. Not resting in the quite dignity within a velvet lined box in the back of the family safe. No, all your boys get is maybe a cellophane window to a drawer bottom littered with half used make up of yesteryear. Dried out eye liner, dirty cotton balls (from the fields of Teddy Bear tears) and stubby little pencils.

Comment from HENRY FAUDECK
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:52 pm

I WAS IN THE NAVY IN 1946. OUR SHIP SAILED INTO THE BAY ON
TWO OCCASIONS AND GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE WAS
REFERRED TO AS GITMO THEN. I DONOT KNOW HOW FAR BACK
THE NICK’NAME GOES, BUT BE WILLING TO GUESS FROM DAY ONE.

Comment from Brooke
Time: January 1, 2007, 4:57 pm

I don’t see “Awesome” or “Ask your doctor” as so bad, but “We’re Pregnant” has bugged me for years. Only one person is pregnant. Only one person gives birth. No matter how much the man (or other woman) may help, only one is pregnant.

Of course, I do allow a little more room for female couples.

Comment from alan
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:01 pm

YES! I am sick of the over-use of that three letter word as a statement of exclamation. Think about it… for at least the last five years every movie teaser or TV commerical hype has someone thrusting a fist in the air and yelling “Yes!” Let’s give it a break!

Comment from shawna
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:02 pm

Can we ban Chipol-te, the mispronunciation of Chipotle, too?

Comment from Dale G.
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:21 pm

What I can’t stand is the sophomoric nicknames used by the
hosts of info-tainment shows like Entertainment Tonight &
EXTRA. There’s an actor ( don’t know his REAL name ) on the
hit ABC show “Grey’s Anatomy” who shows like Access Holly-
wood are ALWAYS referring to as “Doctor McDreamy”. Every
time one of the hosts of one of these shows uses this
stupid nickname for an actor, who I assume wants to be taken seriously, I want to gag on their girlish gaga nonsense.

Comment from Rick
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:26 pm

Undocumented Alien should not be on the list. The phrase describes a specific type of alien who has not followed ours laws to get into this country. Not all aliens are illegal; in fact up until a few years ago the main heading on a US Green Card was “RESIDENT ALIEN”.

By putting this phrase on the list you assume all aliens are illegal and does a disservice to the many LEGAL aliens who went through the proper process of entering this country.

Comment from Kate
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:37 pm

Gitmo is a military term and should not be put on the banished words list. It is used as a faster alternative to saying Guantanomo Bay, Cuba. As a military child, I find it somewhat offensive that Gitmo made it onto the banished words list. Furthermore, the fuzzy creature from the movies is Gizmo, not Gitmo. This list sucks.

Comment from Doc
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:39 pm

Regarding “NOW PLAYING IN THEATERS”, what causes me even more agony is “Playing everywhere on…” Does that mean if I am in Outer Mongolia and I want to see the latest motion picture with Bennifer or Tomkat (sorry, couldn’t help myself) I can find it in a theater?

Comment from Stell
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:44 pm

My initial comment was to only be directed at the use of “Gitmo”…I began kindergarden there in 1956 when my dad was in the Navy…it was “Gitmo” then and probably was named so not long after the Naval base was first established…like so many comments before mine, especially from the military oriented…the over-use and abuse of the name comes only from the media and civilians…What prompts me to add more to my comment is the laughter I have enjoyed from reading the comments entered before mine…I had not previously thought much about how words, slang words, and phrases from so many obviously different generations are so annoying to each generation and to individuals…what a funny world we live in when silly words make so much difference…but, hey, that’s just what I think…which is okay, as is it’s okay what others want to think, too.

Comment from Rob
Time: January 1, 2007, 5:56 pm

How about “actually”. It actually seems like everyone is actually using actually in every actual sentence they actually say….

Comment from Alison Schiff
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:11 pm

you left out

‘’how fun was that'’ and other misuses of the word fun…'’it was the funest thing'’ etc

Comment from Chris
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:12 pm

Awesome has gone from good to bad and back to good so many times already, it is here to stay.

The rest of the list is pretty awesome though.

Comment from Jen
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:18 pm

This sucks. Pwn is a good word.

Comment from Tony
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:21 pm

I can’t believe that the phrase “on the ground” did not make the list this year! It has to be one of the most over-used, moronic phonic garbage in use today by our politicians, policy wonks and news organization. We’re planning on putting more “boots on the ground in Iraq.” Where else would these boots be? Hanging on trees? Walking up walls? And then there’s this phrase: “The facts on the ground are that…” Couldn’t this just be stated as “The facts are that…?”

Comment from Rebecca
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:44 pm

It does not matter what words are used. It is a free country, so we should not have to be told what to say, and what not to say.
Thats my comment on the stupid list.

Comment from Judy
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:44 pm

anyone have a problem with ‘not a problem…’?

Comment from Veril Scott
Time: January 1, 2007, 6:52 pm

“You know what”? I about gag evertime I hear that statement. As the recipiant I am to believe that they are somehow, very enlightened, or has seen through all the mirth and I am about to hear something very clairvoyant. Or, they have just made some geat decision. You know what, it makes me sick!

Comment from John
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:24 pm

“Drug deal gone bad” ? A drug deal is just a consensual market transaction. A drug deal can certainly go well - say for example when nobody gets killed or arrested by the State for choosing to purchase and ingest a substance of his or her choice.

Comment from Marshall S.
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:34 pm

For those who object to the term Gitmo — if you’d ever been in the Navy or Marines you would long since have known that it springs from the once-upon-a-time ease of obtaining sex around the base in Cuba. It is short for “Get More.” Nothing in the word implies a cute and fuzzy critter (except in kinky terms). Marshall

Comment from Rob
Time: January 1, 2007, 7:50 pm

“Gitmo” is the nickname used by military personnel for the Guatanmo Bay base for probably as long as it’s been a US base (almost a hundred years),

Comment from cynthia
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:07 pm

Some definitions of the word ‘troop’:

troop trup - Show Spelled Pronunciation[troop] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation,
–noun
1. an assemblage of persons or things; company; band.
2. a great number or multitude: A whole troop of children swarmed through the museum.
3. Military. an armored cavalry or cavalry unit consisting of two or more platoons and a headquarters group.
4. troops, a body of soldiers, police, etc.: Mounted troops quelled the riot.

Certainly NOT A (singular) soldier, but a collective group.

Some definitions of ‘trooper’:
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source
troop•er ˈtru pər - Show Spelled Pronunciation[troo-per] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. a horse-cavalry soldier.
2. a mounted police officer; a police officer on horseback.
3. STATE TROOPER.

4. a cavalry horse.

‘TroopER’ would be a more acceptable term when referring a single soldier, but how about just saying ’soldier’?

Comment from Louie Akin
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:20 pm

Ah for the days when “awesome” meant breathtaking, really breathtaking, and “chauvinist”meant gungho as in a gunho or chauvinistic feminist, and “battered” as in “battered spouse” meant severely physically beaten or bashed instead of treated rudely at a family gathering.

Comment from Vic Stryker - certified teacher
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:35 pm

At age 62 now - I was, am and always will be a CERTIFIED teacher ! But here in California - Hasselfornia - which is infested with absurd and stupid bureauRATS…
They all call us teachers… CERTIFICATED !!!

I hate this word ! PLZ bann it forthwithe… Thanks

Comment from Andi
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:45 pm

Please banned the following:
“Most or more importantly ” I am tired of hearing this phrase, especially after a seminar speech or any speaker or salesperson. It as if all else that I took up youtr time on was not really that important.
“Win Win” situation what does it really mean and to whom.

Comment from Renee
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:47 pm

1. Homeland. When did we become the homeland?
2. I agree about we’re pregnant. It makes me sick when I hear a woman say that… Almost as sick as I was for 9 months (times 2). “We” will be pregnant when he gets a uterus.
3. Orientate. Adding unnecessary endings to words that already describe the situation. It doesn’t make you sound smarter…
4. Grow the company.
5. Fabulous

Comment from Rich Harmon
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:48 pm

Clearly, clearly is way over used, if were so clear, we would already know it.

Comment from buckwheat
Time: January 1, 2007, 8:49 pm

Hey, I was thinking that the “I pwnd you!” phrase could have meant “You’re not even worth owning! I pawned you!”

Comment from Rich Harmon
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:08 pm

“Future plans” are there any other type?

“Close Proximity”….. close close?

“Disrespecting me” as in don’t be disrespecting proper grammar.

“Spot On” please stop saying it, before it gets out of hand.

“Person of interest”

“Cops” instead of police

BlOG me

Comment from eric baxter
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:10 pm

I have great contempt for the use of “impact” in the transitive sense, e.g., “to have an impact or effect on”.

I believe “The court ruling will impact the education of minority students” should rather be “The court ruling will impinge upon the education of minority students.”

Thanks,

E. Baxter

P.S. I asked an English prof. friend, newly a father, “So, how’s the parenting impacting you?”

Comment from George Dockray
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:29 pm

First it was “homes” rather than houses. Not I see they’re “town homes” rather than town houses. I’ve even seen reference to “row homes”. Fercrisakes ……………… they are STRUCTURES, you know buildings? Chirpy real-estate-speak has reached some sort of “needs to be dealt with” threshold.

Comment from me
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:35 pm

get over yourselves

Comment from Ed Hardiman
Time: January 1, 2007, 9:41 pm

As the creator of “lamethetic” I would like to see it banned for overuse in 2008 since it is hyper-applicable to almost anything. Celebrities are squashed bugs on the windshield of life. Who or what Paris Hilton is giving Herpes is not news it is equivalent to being interrupted to get an update on monkees hurling feces at the zoo…

Comment from Carlton
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:00 pm

In all truthiness, chipotle is an undocumented alien word gone bad. I would be very happy if it would be gone/went missing forever. It is awesome that you selected it for this year’s list.

Comment from Giuseppe
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:09 pm

2007 Banished Words List
You should probably contribute your suggestions.

Comment from Andrew
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:14 pm

Comment from George Parker
Time: December 31, 2006, 6:30 pm

I just love it when an ex-jock sportscaster comes on the 6.00PM news and talks about the local numb-nuts football team, describing them as the “Winningest” team of all time. What on earth does “WINNINGEST” mean?

Winningest is meant to mean “Most Winning”.. I have issues with this word as well, however I have come to see where it is used. “The Lakers are having their winningest season in school history” is a lot less wordy than “The Lakers are have the best record this season the team has ever had”.

I have to admit that I was not initially impressed with this year’s list, however it is growing on me.

Comment from Mark
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:40 pm

Try this game. Watch any show about home makeovers, personal makeovers, or involving entertainment culture (ET, etc.) and slam a shot each time you hear “actually.” Even hard core drinkers will have a hard time surviving a half hour. Even if it were used correctly, which it usually isn’t, it’s overuse is the most single annoying thing in our language today, especially on television.

Comment from Ban the Urban Dictionary! !
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:52 pm

Has anyone visited the website, Urban Dictionary? It states that it’s a slang dictionary with your definitions! It even invites new definitions! Why does it exist? Ban the Urban Dictionary! !

Comment from sportsfan
Time: January 1, 2007, 10:59 pm

Can we please add the phrase “All this guy has done is…” that EVERY sportscaster is using? It was okay the first time it was used… but now it is just stupid, lazy, and unimaginative.

Comment from Molly
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:03 pm

I love the show Entourage, really, but can we get rid of “hug it out”? I was walking by a 9-year-old soccer team’s practice (the players were 9, the team wasn’t itself 9, obviously) and heard the coach say “okay guys, let’s hug it out”…seriously, I doubt they have ever seen that show, and I don’t want an entire NEW generation to pick up this overused catch phrase. Even Jeremy Piven has said it’s been OVERDONE.

Off my soapbox now.

Comment from Bill
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:18 pm

I have two; the first is “architected”–most often used as a verb in computerspeak…
“He architected the software in such a way as to make hacking it impossible.”

Then…
“Baby daddy” and “Baby momma”

Comment from Andrew
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:27 pm

Language is made to evolve and i personally do not want English to be considered a dead language. If language couldnt evolve then it would not even be here today and we would be living in caves.

U say that these words r banned but there is no truthiness behind ur claims. Personally, i love those little grammatical errors i get to use in normal everyday speak. They are like little bubbles of joy.

And then teh internets is better. Grammerically, anything goes. Im sry if all u aging folks kant keep up with 1337, but just because u cant understand us doesn’t mean r speak is wrong.

All your banished word r belong to me.
:)

Comment from mike sutton
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:28 pm

I have one word if you want to call it a word “k-fed”. It should be band around the world.

Comment from Richard Jahn
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:30 pm

Regarding the history of Gitmo, or more correct Gitmo bay, this term has been in use for about 100 years. It’s not a deragotaory term, it is simply Navy short hand. Prior to Castro taking over Cuba Gitmo was considered a prime assignment. Military towns and bases have always been known by nicknames.

Comment from allen collier
Time: January 1, 2007, 11:45 pm

re: GITMO

Took a long time to get used to seeing it with the “i” in it. I guess that the politically correct way of spelling it.
However, when I spent 2 years, 2 months there (1948-1950) the accepted spelling was GTMO. I was there, briefdly in 1955, but doubt I’d recognize the place today.

Comment from Josh
Time: January 2, 2007, 12:03 am

Perhaps it was included on previous lists, but how about banning “Wassup” — and its usual partner, “dawg”? Sorry, but street cool does not trump intelligence.

Another: “No problem” as some sort of replacement for “you’re welcome.” I have actually dumbfounded “no problem” utterers by replying, “Gee, I didn’t think it was. I merely said thank you.”

“Oh no, she di’int” — Good Lord, now we’re aping Cockney with bad gutteral jumps??? This is like “aksed” — it’s actually harder to say that than say “asked,” which flows quite languidly from one’s mouth.

Using “good” in place of “well”: “How are you?” “I’m good.”

And my number one pet peeve of all time: Using “way” in place of “very” or “much”: “That movie was way good”; “Yeah, it was way better than J.Lo’s last movie.” Oh, this one always makes me way bewildered.

Comment from Samuel Choy
Time: January 2, 2007, 12:23 am

I have to agree with Liz on banning Google as a verb. Google is a trademarked term and therefore an adjective. Google, Yahoo, Alta Vista, Dogpile, and the like are SEARCH engines. Calling one of those sites a “Google engine” just doesn’t work for me.

Comment from Cindy
Time: January 2, 2007, 12:24 am

Personally, I’m sick and tired of “Evil Doers” - come on already. It sounds like we are all living in a really really bad comic book.

Comment from Myke
Time: January 2, 2007, 12:28 am

When I hear someone say that “WE had a miscarriage” then just maybe I would accept taking “We’re Pregnant” off the list.

Unless you’re willing to say we had a miscarriage, you can’t defend we’re pregnant.

Comment from Polly
Time: January 2, 2007, 12:43 am

It is amazing to me how many things some people find amazing.

Comment from Hank
Time: January 2, 2007, 1:14 am

HEAVYSET - In an attempt to not insult fat people, you used “Heavy” in the word!

Is Nichole Richie SKINNYSET?

Comment from MaTT
Time: January 2, 2007, 1:16 am

WHY REMOVE PWN WHY!!!!!

it could mean pawned.

exactly, stfu u noobcakes!

and if u add noobcakes to the list ill smack u all.

Comment from B
Time: January 2, 2007, 2:24 am

Yeah, I’m going to have a go at “undocumented alien” too. “Alien” means “foreign” and you can be of the documented or undocumented variety.

B

Comment from anne
Time: January 2, 2007, 2:30 am

. . . in addition to the annoying phrase,”HAVING SAID THAT . . .,” how about banning the phrase used by similarly inclined people when they say, “THIS BEGS THE QUESTION . . .” which makes them sound pretentious! I also dislike hyped advertising that speaks of “FREE, BONUS GIFTS AT NO COST TO YOU.” and the word “IRREGARDLESS,” as well as the over-used ‘WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION,” and the word “DECIMATE” when they think the word means totally destroyed.

Comment from raider hater
Time: January 2, 2007, 3:44 am

banish anything that comes out of the mouth dummies such as Paris, Nicole, Brittany, etc

Comment from Rafael Chanivecky
Time: January 2, 2007, 4:49 am

Hi
I’d just like to add a couple more words that I hear all the time on tv and also in “real life”:
- Thunk, as in “Who would have thunk” (instead of “thought”
- Brung, as in “I should have brung my wallet” (instead of brought)

I think they deserve to be in that list.

Regards

Rafael
Maple Ridge, BC

Comment from marc
Time: January 2, 2007, 5:23 am

Totally agree that “awesome” ought to go.

But how do I get my 60-plus sister to quit using it.
Perhaps we should amend it. A few months ago, I sent this email to friends:

Thailand is wonderful. This morning, we actually swam with elephants. Awesome! (in the adult sense of the word).

Comment from Bob Connely
Time: January 2, 2007, 5:43 am

As we seek to expand our minds, so, too, should we seek to expand our banishments; damning single words is but a scratch on the surface of verbal irritants that buzz like fruit flies around last week’s Bananas.

For example:

(from television advertising): the FDA Warning verbiage for a sleep-aid - “…may cause drowsiness…”

–YEAH! Isn’t that what you’re going to take it for?–

(from bier-side lamentations): “…and doesn’t he (she) look good?”

–WHAT? Looking dead is looking good? Makes you wonder what the deceased looked like, alive, and without all that makeup–

(from Television journalism - an Oxymoron if ever there was one): “Embedded with…”

–NO, Producer-person: your ‘reporter’ is just plain “with” - unless you’re being punny by implying that your ‘reporter’ is IN-Bedded with, and that hardly seems likely because there are few ‘reporters’ who’d want to muss their hair just before, on-camera, breathlessly describing what the viewer can already see–

(from private-owner aircraft accidents): “The pilot brought the plane down…”

– WRONG! Gravity brought the plane down. The pilot was simply along for the ride, and likely trying to remember where that extra pair of Depends was stashed–

(again from pharmaceutical ads): “… if you experience an erection lasting more than 4 hours…”

– Step One: revive your Partner, who has become, likely, long-accustomed to minutes-under-five;
– Step 2: USE IT, you idiot - that’s what you took the pill for;
– Step 3: if, in fact, you experience the blood-clotting that may accompany such a 4-hour phenomena, at 03:59:30, run to the lavatory, get out your shaving gear, and nick yourself shaving… problem solved–

Finally-to-be-banned: idiots like me who have little to do with their time but whine about stuff from The Great Mind-suck (e.g., Television; “No Thinking Required - or Desired”).

– Read a book, take a walk, visit a Nursing Home resident who has no family… in short, get off your growing-larger-by-the-moment butt and DO something.–

Comment from Mark
Time: January 2, 2007, 6:30 am

I would like to nominate “sweet.” But especially when pronounced “suh-weeeet!”

Comment from Mark
Time: January 2, 2007, 6:33 am

And can we just settle on “illegal immigrant?” No PC “documented/undocumented” business, and no space “aliens.”

Comment from Mark
Time: January 2, 2007, 6:35 am

Oh, and the British are destroying the meaning of “brilliant!”

Comment from Mark
Time: January 2, 2007, 6:42 am

Re: Gitmo

“Gitmo” is military argot. When not attempting to militarize the lexicon of the average Joe, most news professionals should use “Guantanamo Bay.”

Comment from Annie
Time: January 2, 2007, 6:45 am

I would like to ban the use of mom and dad unless they are used as proper nouns addressing one’s own mother and father, e.g. “Hi Mom.” What ever happened to “How is your father feeling?”

Comment from Fred Flint
Time: January 2, 2007, 8:47 am

Another phrase that needs to be banned is that at the end of political ads. The candidate steps up the to the microphone, states his or her name and says ” . . . and I approved this ad.” I would certainly hope that if it is paid for by your campaign fund that you would have approved it. Why do you need to tell me ‘you approved it’? And, perhaps more importantly, why should I care?

Comment from Michael Moran
Time: January 2, 2007, 8:51 am

This is the dumbest list I have ever seen… no offense

Comment from danin
Time: January 2, 2007, 8:59 am

Thank you, mokey. I am so glad that someone else is equally annoyed by

GOING FORWARD

As you said, why isn’t in the future or from now on good enough? At least we don’t have going backward displacing in the past.

Comment from ken
Time: January 2, 2007, 9:06 am

Good job all! Thanks. How about starting a companion list of banished pronunciations? secEtary for secretary, piture for picture, etc.?

Comment from D
Time: January 2, 2007, 9:13 am

Bush, the word bush should go to mean some kind of shrubbery or womens hair style. Its just lost ALL meaning for me now that, that family has gone and ruined it for everyone.

Comment from Bob Ellison
Time: January 2, 2007, 9:22 am

Excellent list!

I gather you prefer to ban words, not phrases, but I hope you’ll consider banning the phrase “in harm’s way”. It belittles what soldiers and other guardians do, and it sounds stupid.

Comment from Gerrit
Time: January 2, 2007, 9:41 am

You can’t remove AWSOME! It’s a great word. That would be like removing COOL. You can’t and you won’t! The word cool has lasted decades and so will Awsome. Besides, who are you to decide what we will say and not say?

Comment from Gary Voegtle
Time: January 2, 2007, 9:49 am

Concerning “GITMO” …this is not a recent change, and has been in use in the U.S. Military longer than most of us have been alive. It has only recently become part of common usage due to the media’s obsession with negative reporting.

Comment from Gary Voegtle
Time: January 2, 2007, 10:05 am

I’ve noticed the networks always introduce a show by joining their call letters with the day, as in “CBS-Tuesday”,
or Fox-Thursday…when did this begin, and why?

Comment from Debbie
Time: January 2, 2007, 10:14 am

Thank you!!! I thought I was the only one who found the use of the phrase “gone missing” to be annoying. It seemed to have come out of no where and accepted proper english instantly. I mean, if legit news casters are using it we figure it must be correct. No one ever says “was discovered missing”, “came up missing”, etc anymore. I thought maybe I was having hallucinations that these (previous) terms ever existed.

Comment from Debbie
Time: January 2, 2007, 10:20 am

In regard to PWN and PWNED, having a college age son whose major accomplishments and ambitions seem to revolve around online gaming (*insert heavy sigh of a frustrated mother here*) I have heard this term for years. As with any “teen lingo”, it eventually makes it way into the adult world, first through those “cool” parents who are allowed to interact with their children’s friends enough to hear their language, then trickling through to the less cool parents until the word becomes common to one and all…at which point the teens no longer want to be caught dead using it. Case in point……the word “bling”. This too shall pass.

Comment from Marianne Greene
Time: January 2, 2007, 10:31 am

I would like to add another most irritable phrase to this list:

Free Gift.

It is even used by organizations with highly educated persons. A gift is free or it is not a gift. Thank you.

Comment from John Anderson
Time: January 2, 2007, 10:40 am

Ban “dangerous weapons.” So far as I know, there aren’t any safe ones.

Something we thankfully don’t see anymore is “real food for real people.” As opposed to what? Real food for imaginary people? Fake food for fake people?

Comment from Al Robinson
Time: January 2, 2007, 10:51 am

I think the phrase “suck it up” should have been included.
By next January you’ll know what I mean.

Comment from Frank
Time: January 2, 2007, 10:52 am

Oh, now you’ve done it: Colbert’s gonna be upset that you banned his word. And with good reason (abeit no doubt overdone): truthiness was coined as satire. It does a decent job and should not be banned for that reason alone.

Now you’ll be admonished for your own truthiness.

Beware.

Comment from Dave
Time: January 2, 2007, 11:14 am

Missing from your list:
“To be honest . . .” or “In all honesty . . . ”
“Event” (as in “we’ve having a sales event,” or “it looks as though we’re in for a snow event on Wednesday.”
“Exactly.” (seems like it’s the only affirmation acceptable these days)

Comment from Darren W.
Time: January 2, 2007, 11:32 am

NOW PLAYING IN THEATERS:
“How often do movies premiere in laundromats or other places besides theaters? I know that when I want to see a movie I think about going to a shoe store.” — Andrea May.

How often? Rarely, but the whole fact of saying “now playing in theaters” is to say the movie is showing in theaters, but in laundromats and other places, you can see bootleg copies or other movies on dvd in a dvd player. How brutish of her to say “I know that when I want to see a movie I think about going to a shoe store”. But the idea of banishing the phrase is non sequitur if you think about what it means. If you know what theaters mean, then you know very well it does not mean going to a shoe store. An example of a new phrase instead now playing in theaters is “now showing its content in cinemas”. Does that sound correct? No! So why mention to ban it, if nothing else would fit the phrase. Not to disrespect, but Andrea May’s statement has a lack of comprehension otherwise know to me (as an young adult) as dumb.

Comment from Todd
Time: January 2, 2007, 11:42 am

I was thrilled to see the combined celebrity names on there. Another one I’d really like to see — Any words ending in -gate. Anything remotely scandalous these days gets a -gate suffix assigned to it on the news (Foleygate, Plamegate, etc.) Few of these scandals merit a comparison to Watergate, and all of them annoy the hell out of me.
I also agree with the person above who suggested “Grow my business” as a banned phrase. That one’s irritated me for years.

Comment from uber-random person
Time: January 2, 2007, 12:17 pm

I think it’s been established that “Gitmo” has been around a long time. No need for more ex-military members posting just to point that out. We get it.

According to the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, a human male could theoretically be pregnant with joy that he has conceived and is expecting a baby. When my own children were in utero, WE conceived a child, WE were expecting, but alas, only I was pregnant.

Skin-crawlers for me:
uber
random
Brangelina et. al
to the nth degree
for the simple fact that
bling (and bling bling is even worse)

Comment from Teresa
Time: January 2, 2007, 12:29 pm

The misuse of the word TROOP has been the most irritating word for me over the past few years. CNN started using the word TROOP to refer to a single soldier when, by definition, a TROOP is “GROUP of soldiers. (Webster’s II)” Imagine how I felt the first time CNN reported the deaths of eight troops!! I thought hundreds of soldiers had been killed!! CNN refuses to answer my emails….

Comment from chris
Time: January 2, 2007, 12:45 pm

The word “literally” has to be the one of the most overused words around. People use “literally” to describe something that isn’t literal. A woman in a weight-loss commercial said “I lost so much weight, my body literally melted.” No, your body didn’t LITERALLY melt!

Comment from noname
Time: January 2, 2007, 1:24 pm

The military base on Guantanamo Bay has been called “GTMO” since my cousin was in the Navy in the ’60s. It is only since bad things started happening to prisoners there that we have heard extensive use of the nickname “Gitmo” in the media.

Can we please abandon Free Gift with Purchase?! It’s either free with my purchase, or it is a gift with my purchase - not both.

The use of “google” as a verb needs to disappear NOW! I searched it on the Web, not I Googled it.

Comment from Bobby
Time: January 2, 2007, 2:40 pm

Guess you should have checked to see exactly what a chipotle was before posting it to the list. It’s a smoked jalapeno pepper. In Mexico, most (if not all) peppers have different names in their different forms. The fresh, smoked, and dried form of a pepper are more than likely named three different things. It just happens to be the “In” ingredient right now, like balsamic vinegar was a few years ago.

Comment from George Alan
Time: January 2, 2007, 2:43 pm

As a corollary to UNDOCUMENTED ALIEN we should ban ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, a nonsense term commonly seen/heard in the media. An immigrant is someone who is following the prescribed legal procedures for a non-native to reside in a country. One cannot both follow the law and be illegal simultaneously.

Comment from Anon
Time: January 2, 2007, 2:58 pm

Can we please do away with the word “misuse?” And how about “ban?” Every time I hear these words, I want to scream. So should you.

Comment from Bret
Time: January 2, 2007, 3:02 pm

“But Wait!” This infomercial staple is enough to turn the stomachs of any commercial TV viewer..

Comment from Nana
Time: January 2, 2007, 3:13 pm

I hate it when a clerk in a store or a waiter or waitress reply “No problem” when you thank them for something. I also dislike the word “duh”. I think it is very insulting.

Comment from Arin McKenna
Time: January 2, 2007, 3:47 pm

I can’t believe you would even consider banning the word “chipotle” because one disgruntled person thinks it is overused. Even if that were so (which I must disagree with) the problem would be with the ingredient being overused, not with the word itself. And those of us here in New Mexico feel you can never have too much chile, either chipotle or any other type. I’m sure the suggestion to ban this exquisite flavor is simply the opinion of someone who prefers that bland northeast cuisine. I’d advise him to come to New Mexico to try the real thing before making so rash a condemnation.

Comment from Kiwi Carlisle
Time: January 2, 2007, 3:53 pm

Sigh. Chipotles have ALWAYS been SMOKED jalapenos, not simply roasted ones. It would help if you did your research before you decided to dictate etymology and speech to the rest of the world, by the way. I’ve been cooking with chipotles for several decades, and I’ve never seen such stupidity in all that time. You can keep your cheese sandwiches with mayonnaise, if you like, and I’ll keep on using chipotles in adobo.

Oh, and by the way, would you like some lessons in how to use search engines? I’m extremely good at that, too. Perhaps if you used more than Google, you might have learned about chipotles. I suggest that you try Dogpile, for instance.

Comment from Kiwi Carlisle
Time: January 2, 2007, 3:54 pm

P.S. Why don’t we banish your list, instead of banishing these words? I’ve never heard of your college outside of these lists. I don’t understand what gives you the authority to make these lists, and I find your smugness annoying.

Comment from Terry
Time: January 2, 2007, 4:02 pm

Sounds to me like a list that included at least one Mocrosoft Goon as a contributor….they seem to be MOST irritated by “i-anything”!

Comment from F. Touwasge
Time: January 2, 2007, 4:05 pm

Yeah Microsoft always says they have the greatest products and innovations but Apple is always WAY ahead technologically. I agree - must be a Microsoft stooge panelist in there.

Comment from WoW!ter
Time: January 2, 2007, 4:18 pm

I really liked the entry on search

Comment from Mike B.
Time: January 2, 2007, 4:26 pm

While I am glad that “pwn” made the list, a few other forms were forgotten.

You have the past tense (pwned) but there are also no-vowel alternatives: PWND and PWNT, as well as PWNAGE (noun).

In a sentence:

“I PWND so many n00bs that I increased my rank on the server from 3 to 1.”

“That n00b got uber PWNT.”

“That was such uber PWNAGE!”

Along with “PWN” and its relatives, n00b (or noob) as well as uber should have been on the list. Uber especially, because it makes me want to throw up on everyone who says it. But then I would just be pwning them.

Comment from J August
Time: January 2, 2007, 4:28 pm

As a Navy vet, GITMO has been used for as long as I can remember. Only a civvie or the truly ignorant would request its banishment…

Comment from Patricia
Time: January 2, 2007, 4:35 pm

What about “twenty-four seven” also known as “24/7″ ? Has that ever made the list, and I just missed it? I am SO tired of seeing it touted on websites, printed in advertisements, and even worse, hearing it on the radio! Can’t somebody PLEASE come up with another “cutsie” phrase?

Comment from katie
Time: January 2, 2007, 4:39 pm

agree with above: “seen” is sometimes “saw,” “female” only refers to ‘the plumbing’ while “woman” specifies in which species such plumbing is functioning, gangbanger is someone in a group sex setting, and G(i)TMO is a lovely military abbreviation that should be spelled out in nonmilitary writing– we dont get to call the president dubya, even though we really really want to, so spell out proper names.

i’d like to ban “preowned” in favor of the formerly ousted and rather economical “used”; “passed away” can stay as the aint-a-dirty-word “died”; and the cutsie weatherman “white stuff” outta just be “snow” (har har, snow is a 4 letter word! …so is lame)

i’ll allow my “outta” and even my “prolly” so long as they too stay out of proper writing. blogs is blogs, and i dont expect much from them. media should be on their best behavior.

“i KNOW….. right??” didnt spread too far in the late 90s, but i want it on the banned list just in case my future kids find it retro and trendy. like groovy. ugh…

i’m tired of the word “hate.” i cant sit through a program or commercial or a stretch of radio broadcast without someone near me saying “[sigh!] i hate that song/actor/skirt she has on/etc.” say you dislike it, dont care for it, like the other skirt so much more, etc. use hate sparingly, or go in the other room and read a book. dont spray your fecal-smelling bad attitude all over my prime time viewing, or especially all over what i read the next day. (please refer to discussions against “awesome” for further explanation)

and in closing, please ban menu speak. my 2 pet examples are “as far as” and “in terms of.” think of a toolbar where you have a button for a topic [format], and clicking it reveals all the different aspects of that topic [page setup, font] menu speak would say “i need to format this page in terms of its font.” or “i had formatting questions, as far as page setup.” [one ought to say “i need to reformat this page’s margins,” or even better, “i’m changing the font to arial, so deal with it.” yes, that’s a much better read.] listen and you’ll find this stinky little gem all over the talking head shows. “now jim, tell me what the prime minister knows as far as the death toll.” jeez, just use the word “about.”

Comment from aj
Time: January 2, 2007, 5:02 pm

I take offense to the pregnancy thing too. It’s cruel to disregard the man during pregnancy and childbirth. Many would do more if they could. It is hard for them to see a woman in a condition for which they are responsible to endure so much pain. As a mother of two boys, I hate to think of them excluded in the complete miricle of life just because they can’t carry and birth the baby.

Comment from mb
Time: January 2, 2007, 5:24 pm

“We’re pregnant” - Nothing wrong with this as long as it’s two or more women saying it. The list does not give enough information as to its context.

“Search” - replaced with Google? Only if Google is the search engine being used. Otherwise, it’s still “search”.

Comment from Andrew
Time: January 2, 2007, 6:00 pm

I say we ban “the”

Its used waaaayy too much.

Comment from Allyn Barth
Time: January 2, 2007, 6:18 pm

Thank you, thank you, and thank you for adding awesome to your list of banished words. This is the first year I have followed the list and applaud you for recognizing that this word is so overused that it comes out of peoples’ mouths with virtually no recognition of appropriate emotion for the situation. And may I add, there is nothing attractive about an adult telling his child something is awesome….it is just wrong. Thank you.

Comment from Quinton
Time: January 2, 2007, 6:54 pm

THIS IS SOOO STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WORDS ARE MADE TO BE USED!!!!!! IF THEY ARE USED TO MUCH THEN IT SHOULDN’T BE A PROBLEM AWESOME IS A WORD THAT EVERY ONE USES. YOU GUYS ARE SOOOOOO STUPID I DON’T GET WHY WORDS YOU DON’T LIKE SHE BE “BANISHED” TO ME IT IS STUPID GOTTA TAKE ALL OF THE FUN OUT OF LIFE!!!!!!!!!!! GOD……

Comment from Carol Mariane Harrison
Time: January 2, 2007, 7:21 pm

I heard “went missing” frequently on both Canadian and American television networks and it sounds like poor grammar used by well-educated tv anchors. I suggest, disappeared when someone literally…..disappears. Went is a verb, an action word. Missing as in, something or someone, can’t be found. “It” simply doesn’t sound grammatically correct when a well-educated person on television, announces that someone “went missing”.
How does a person went? missing? How does a person disappear? That’s easy….they were last seen when? No one knows that the person has disappeared.

Comment from Carol Mariane Harrison
Time: January 2, 2007, 7:25 pm

To Jim Turner, Re: Ask Your Doctor. How do you know one’s doctor is male? There are doctors who are women? Ask you doctor (he) is assuming automatically that women aren’t doctors.
I’ve had the occasional specialist assume my GP is a man without ever considering my doctor my be a woman. Not such a novelty in 2006 past.

Comment from My Cat Is An Orange Tabby
Time: January 2, 2007, 8:33 pm

Carol Mariane Harrison:

” ‘It’ simply doesn’t sound grammatically correct when a well-educated person on television, announces that someone ‘went missing’.”

Does it sound grammatically correct when a person, well educated or not, on television or otherwise, announces that someone “went mad”? Or that “the crowd went wild”? Or that “the room went silent”?

The verb “go,” together with its tense forms “went” and “gone,” has a long (and grammatically distinguished) history as a word meaning “to become.”

Comment from Eva
Time: January 2, 2007, 8:39 pm

How can you ban a word like chipotle? No, it was not originally known as a smoked jalapeno. I read cookbooks as a hobby and I have never seen a reference that referred to this item as anything other than a chipotle. Chopitle is a legitimate food item, not a brand name. Can I ban Red Delicious apples because they are horrible or pizza because I cannot eat dairy? No, chipotles are a delicious part of many Mexican dishes and I will proudly be using both the smoked peppers and the word for years to come.

Comment from Rod Cordell
Time: January 2, 2007, 10:00 pm

Guantanamo Bay has been known to the Navy as Gitmo for at least 45 years. It was Gitmo in 1962 when I spent 6 weeks there. It was probably know as that when the base was founded in 1903.

Comment from Nikki
Time: January 3, 2007, 12:35 am

Too many comments to read, so I don’t know if someone said it or not already … but how about wardrobe malfunction … or was that 2005???

Comment from Lynn Riggs
Time: January 3, 2007, 1:26 am

When was Politics ever Correct?
The opposite of Pro is Con, is the opposite of Progress- Congress?!
Someone mentioned Lamentic which is from the Hebrew, the Scotish is Lament, which is a style of music,
instumentally the Bag-Pipe.
Philbert (a nut) J Thrombackle, stated that the “Second” president of the United States had to battle with the letter Q.
The sixth President of the United States was John Quincy Adams, he was the son of the second President of the United States John Adams. PLEASE do yourself a favor, read the biography of John Adams, the letters to Abigale truly pay for the price of the book! What these folks went thru to establish this fine country and its fledgling democracy is breathtaking.

Comment from carolyn boersma
Time: January 3, 2007, 6:24 am

I hope we have heard the end of ” stay the course” !!!

Comment from James Hohlfeld
Time: January 3, 2007, 7:57 am

I strongly disagree with banishing “undocumented alien.” In this country (in spite of the efforts of the current administration) a person, even a citizen of another country, is innocent until proven guilty. One who enters the USA without the correct documents may have commited a crime, but until convicted is innocent.

To drive the point home, I would even question the use of “illegal” to modify alien, or any other noun referring to a person. Is a drunk driver an illegal driver? No. While a person’s action may be illegal, the person himself never becomes illegal. Laws, at least in this country, are written to prohibit actions not persons.

It may take a second or two longer to say, and a bit more ink to print, but the correct phrase is “people who enter this country illegally.” Then the adverb modifies the action, as the Queen’s English demands.

Comment from Alison
Time: January 3, 2007, 8:26 am

Watch out for “Heft” as a word for 2007!

In response to Jan, a “hollaback girl” is a cheerleader in responsive mode. As in “Give me a G” she hollers back “G!”

Comment from Carol Keith
Time: January 3, 2007, 8:45 am

I don’t think the word “search” should be banished. It is, was, and always will be a valid word–I am offended that most everyone has the outlook that computer usage has taken the place of all speech, thinking, doing, etc. For example, when I lose my thimble; “googling” would have no effect. The darn computer is not so smart! How can it tell me I have it on my finger and just forgot to take it off? So I SEARCH for it; and find it!

Carol Keith-Tennessee

Comment from Doreen
Time: January 3, 2007, 9:17 am

You forgot the most annoying of all….”like, ummmm” I don’t think anyone these days can say an entire sentece without injecting “like, ummm”, or “like, y’know” in it. It makes a person sound illiterate.

Comment from Mike Ervin
Time: January 3, 2007, 9:44 am

GITMO - Not sure why GITMO is such an irritant. Ask any Marine where GITMO is and he’ll tell you Cuba. As him where Guantanamo Bay is and he (might) know. But, GITMO became slang for Guantanamo, mostlikely, in the 60s which I dare say is probably 20 years before most if not all of the people who’ve complained about its overuse were born.

Comment from David
Time: January 3, 2007, 10:05 am

Thanks for getting rid of the combined celebrity names! I also had the following nominations for this year’s list:

Chillax: “The English language has chillaxed too much if ‘chillax’ has become a word.”

(Nintendo) Wii: “They should have just called it the Nintendo Revolution, as they had planned. “Wii”, when capitalized, is “WII”, which looks like “WWII”. Nintendo is a Japanese company, so wouldn’t they remember World War II? Further, since it’s pronounced “we”, it must be either very little and childish, or something related to urine. Wii, this is the Greatest. Product Name. Ever. ”

Drive-by media: “I used to like listening to Rush Limbaugh until he started using this phrase every day. To use an overused phrase from my parents, it ’sounds like a broken record’ because he uses it so often. Is it supposed to be a joke? I’ve never found it particularly funny, and now it’s just annoying.”

Get your ____ on: “”Get your freak on”, “Get your smile on”, “Get your fash on”… Get this phrase off of the English language! It’s everywhere, and it’s stupid!”

Backslash: “The slashes in URLs are forward slashes (/), not backslashes (\). Maybe people who read URLs on the radio need to take computer classes too.”

I’d also like to add “FTW” / “For the Win”, another phrase I’ve often seen from fellow gamers. As a gamer, I apologize for “PWN”; the people who came up with that really make those of us gamers who are normal people look bad.

And “Oh, snap”. *Please* get rid of it. I beg you. We can also ditch most of the tired lines from Napoleon Dynamite that people are throwing around. (I don’t hate cult comedies, but I certainly don’t like that one. I reserve the right to keep quoting So I Married an Axe Murderer, ad nauseam!)

The “words” that I most wanted the Unicorn Hunters to ban this year (and, as Dennis Miller says, “I don’t want to get off on a rant here, BUT”) were the sports nicknames that consist of the player’s first initial plus the first syllable of his last name. It wasn’t that bad when only A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez) used it. Now we have J-Will (Jason Williams), K-Mart (Kenyon Martin), MoPete (Morris Peterson), Q-Rich (Quentin Richardson), D-Wade (Dwyane Wade), T-Mac (Tracy McGrady), and T-Tom (Tim Thomas); and those are just the ones in Wikipedia’s list of basketball nicknames. It seems that ESPN is coming up with more of these stupid nicknames every day!

Comment from Stephen Pepper
Time: January 3, 2007, 10:15 am

I beg to differ about Undocumented Alien. It stands in contrast to Resident Alien, which is a person legally residing in the US whose citizenship still lies elsewhere. Resident Alien is the official classification for holders of “Green Cards”. Therefore, UA is still a useful term.

On a lighter note, do UAs arrive in UFOs?

Comment from Mike Ervin
Time: January 3, 2007, 10:35 am

Here’s a try at Humor good, bad, or otherwise. Which brings up the term “Good Humor Man”. Does anyone remember the Good Humor Man?

The combined celeb name, LSSU, presents this awesome list of what could be termed “undocumented alien” names stating they have been chipotled beyond recognition and should go missing from the venacular as if they don’t pwn any i-anything. If we were to search the truthiness of the matter it could easily been determined that they could gitmo from actual study, meaning research, then what they presently project from this “now playing in theater” generation. LSSU boasts this website yet serves no rational for the time wasted. Chances are there will be more then one student who falls into the category of “Armed Robbery/Deal Gone Bad” as semesters roll by especially those funding by their parents. Ask the parents, I think the term Armed Robbery is resounding. and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist nor do you have to ask your doctor how we got pregnant. When the woman says it it’s a statement of inclusiveness. When a man says it it’s a statement admission. When it’s said simultaneously, it’s a co-joined statement. To become pregnant: timing. There’s a good word “co-joined”. It’s (like) the difference between unilateral and bilateral:I co-joined you for sex and now we’re pregnant.

Comment from Janice
Time: January 3, 2007, 11:13 am

I nominate the term “grow your business”. This drives me absolutely nuts. What was wrong with increasing your business. Grow makes me think of a plant in the ground not adding customers.

Comment from Charley Dungarees
Time: January 3, 2007, 11:16 am

Went missing. It’s not they went missing; it’s they disappeared from where we expect them to be or they went into hiding so they couldn’t be found. Went missing sounds like they deliberately went someplace to disappear but they too don’t know where they are; that may happen sometimes, but not usually.

Comment from Haans Petruschke
Time: January 3, 2007, 11:34 am

“gone missing” is an expression I worked to popularize beginning in the early 1980’s. It is an expression in general use in British English and I think is useful. When is someone missing? Missing what? I am missing my girlfriend right now. Gone missing adds clarity as opposed to having been missing (what?) for a period of time. I have not heard the gone/went missing useage much, and am suprised it has become popular enough to be proposed for banishment

New on my list of expressions to popularize is to “run out of” electricity. This as apposed to the power being “out” Out where? The power is off, is more appropriate but that is used in an intentional sense in our language. In Baghdad they run out of electricity on a daily basis. In St. Louis they have run out of electricty because of unusual snowstorms.

For rebanishment I propose niche used in the non biological sense. Especially when pronounced nieesh as opposed to the more traditional nitch. This pronounciation is funny because it only occured when marketing types began using this word, that they had never heard but only read.

Comment from R2B
Time: January 3, 2007, 12:04 pm

Gitmo should stay. It is a military term adopted by reporters who wanted to sound like they were part of something most of them seem to have little or no regard for-the military. Undocumented alien(s), the term and the persons who qualify for this designation, should leave and follow the legal process, as my German, Scot, & Irish ancestry did, to enter this nation. Parents ought to be reading to their children nightly, and slang, vulgarity, and cursing should be banned from classrooms, thereby encouraging appropriate conversational language.

Comment from Charley Dungarees
Time: January 3, 2007, 12:27 pm

Isolated thoughts:

Yes, the English language grows, changes, matures, and develops, but that doesn’t mean that there shouldn’t be some decorum and resemblence to intelligent use of the language. At least some of the time.

GITMO or GTMO.
Yes, we all know that the military used the phrase as far back as 50 or 60 years ago. But that’s military shorthand for Guantanemo. The same as “the Nam” was used by the military during the 1960s and 1970s; but the reporters covering the President’s trip to Viet Nam didn’t refer to his arriving in “the Nam”.
As every trade or craft has it’s own language, let GITMO or GTMO stay with the trade, the military. For the rest of the world, saying Guantanemo or Guantenmo Bay gives a better understanding of what or where we’re talking about.

“We’re pregnant”
No, we’re not. I checked with the woman expecting to give birth to our child. Together we helped her become pregnant. We are expecting a baby. We’re going to be parents. After the pregnant one of us - her - delivers the child. Unless we’re having twins, and each of us is carrying one of the twins, only one of us is pregnant.

As for the suggestion of adding “troop”, the word troop is the shortened version of trooper, and like GITMO or GTMO belongs with the military or the uniformed protection service (such as “State Troopers”). One alone is generally a soldier or police officer; two or more are troops. I can live with that.

This list is only as lame, if it is, as the language use.
Any individual selection can be questioned, and will be by people that use those the words or phrase in question. It’s not worse than lists from previous years. And, some people should check previous lists, because some of the current suggestions have been included previously.

As for Tony’s comment, “The explanation is not satisfying. Anyone who thinks that every alien without documentation is illegal does not understand immigration law. There are plenty of ways to be lawfully in the country or not illegally in the country without documentation. Tsk for not doing a little more research before buying into the complaints of anti-immigration crusaders. ”
No, if they’re here legally, there is documentation somewhere; be it lentry via passport or visa, merchant papers, etc. If you enter illegally, i.e., in contravention to U.S. law without authorizing documentation or authority, then you’ve apparently entered illegally. What happens after you enter and change or rectivy your status is a different issues, but unless there’s authorizing paper or legislation (rules of law, if you will), you entered illegally and until then you’re here illegally.

On that note, I’m surprised, however, that no one questioned the overuse of the phrase “illegal immigrant” and asked why the individual in question wasn’t called an “insurgent” or “domestic insurgent’ in the United States for economic, political, or personal/family reasons.

Comment from me
Time: January 3, 2007, 12:28 pm

Finally!!!! No more CHIPOTLE. If I hear this word again i’m going to vomit. I refuse to eat any any place that uses this freakin word.

Comment from illi
Time: January 3, 2007, 12:29 pm

BRING/TAKE
All I have to say is; Bring it to me, Take it to them, not the other way around.

Comment from Terry Pietenpol
Time: January 3, 2007, 1:07 pm

>When did the notorious Guantanamo Bay Naval Base change >to ‘Gitmo,’ a word that conjures up an image of a fluffy and sweet >character from a Japanese anime show?” — Marcus W., St. >Louis, Missouri.

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base has been known as Gitmo since at least 1960 when I was there. Perhaps the general public is just noticing something the sea-going forces have been using for many years. It’s just easier and quicker to answer Gitmo when someone asks where you’re bound rather than Guantanamo Bay Naval Base . Sort of like my favorite “T-storms”.

Comment from Cally Dieckmann
Time: January 3, 2007, 1:24 pm

I think that the “N” word should have been banned. It is one of the most offensive words used today in the english language. It is used too casually as an endearment or as an offensive name depending upon who uses it. Now that would have been “Awesome!

Comment from Sue
Time: January 3, 2007, 1:32 pm

Ok - anyone with kids out there? how did everything (sarcastically) become ‘GAY’,
That color is ‘gay’
That car is soooo ‘gay’
Homework is ‘gay’
And SOOOOOOOOOOOO not cool–or WAAAYYYY cool, And it soooooooooooo sucks…Can we include the stupid head shaking-eye rolling acknowledgement while speaking this crap also?
UUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Comment from Melissa
Time: January 3, 2007, 1:55 pm

How about ‘aks’ Why is it so hard to get the ’s’ before the ‘k’? I aks ya!!!! Arghhh

Also ’species’ is supposed to be pronounced as it is spelled I do not see an ‘h’ after the ‘c’ leave it out!

We’re Pregnant has always angered me.
Chipolte is a smoked jalepeno often found in adobo sauce.

Comment from ksmith
Time: January 3, 2007, 2:03 pm

I think that every news person (reader or writer) and every politician who speaks publicly should have and use a thesaurus, dictionary, and pronunciation guide. Perhaps then they might have a chance to get something right. Even the President needs help - with his unwillingness to learn how to say the word NUCLEAR! I learned that in elementary school.

Comment from CRT
Time: January 3, 2007, 3:31 pm

Punctuation is everything. Win Win is meaningless (unless a football cheer), but Win/Win is used to contrast with Win/Lose (i.e. zero sum) and is legitimately used to remind people to look for shared opportunities.

Consider the following sentences:

They say, to the man with the hammer, everything looks like a nail.

and

They say to the man with the hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Those sentences communicate very different ideas….

Comment from CRT
Time: January 3, 2007, 3:50 pm

my nominees for 2008:

“Put out a fire” as in to diffuse a crisis. The reason here is pretty simple. Resolving political concerns ought not to rise to the same level as the building on fire…

Synergy. Synergy is one of those words which exists to excite people about possibilities without communicating anything.

Some words and phrases I would NOT like to see banned:

“Spic and span” makes no sense in modern English but it is a survival not only of good Middle English words, but also of older poetic devices. Keep it if only for historical reasons.

Misunderestimated. When you misunderstand someone, you try to understand them but you don’t succeed. When you misunderestimate someone, you try to underestimate him/her unsuccessfully…. I think it was a perfect description…

Some words we should bring back:

Were (pro. Wehr) and Wife for adult humans of different genders. Let the word “Man” revert to its original gender-neutral meaning. (if we want to avoid some confusion over existing words, we could keep woman since it was originally Wife-man, and create a similar Werman to mean the male equivalent). Besides, “I now pronounce you were and wife” has better allitteration…..

Of course our gender-based words in our language are now thoroughly screwed up. Words such as husband (orig. household servent, i.e. house-bond), lord (originally, guardian of the loaf, loaf-ward), lady (originally loaf-woman, i.e. bread-maker), and the man/woman division show how much sexism and just plain strangeness has become part of the English language since 1066….

Comment from CRT
Time: January 3, 2007, 4:13 pm

One more nominee:

Whom. It is time we ended the fact that we don’t use accusative case with the exception of just a few pronouns. Let’s get rid of him, her, whom, and just use he, she, who. Let’s stop confusing poor english teachers (and hence students) with an anacronism. Sure it will take some getting used to, but…

Comment from The Town Crier
Time: January 3, 2007, 4:17 pm

What about this inane slang misuse of the word “REPRESENT”
it is really annoying. In that same vain the way people now sum things up with the word “RESPECT”
Another thing I can’t stand is the word “BIFF” or “BF” to mean best friend or “we’re so biff” ew.

Comment from Stephen Reynolds
Time: January 3, 2007, 4:44 pm

It’s amazing that “amazing” didn’t make the list.

Comment from Marcus W
Time: January 3, 2007, 5:02 pm

Okay so I did not knowing Gitmo (GTMO) has been around for years within the military. But for the general public (and for that case the rest of the world outside of the US) this is not a ‘word’ most people had ever heard before the media jumped on it and overused it in my opinion.

Comment from Billy Short
Time: January 3, 2007, 5:20 pm

I’m from Centralia, WA and I think that we should BAN “cool” because nobody uses it anymore and it gets annoying!!!

Comment from Billy Short
Time: January 3, 2007, 5:21 pm

My new Word is simplithetic for the word to be used… It means Simple and athletic put together…

Comment from Lindsay
Time: January 3, 2007, 5:51 pm

Why are literally and ironically not on the list?

Many people like The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart say the word “literally” before a figurative phrase. Sometimes he will even say, “literally, like.” It should either be literal or figurative; not both.

Too often, I hear people say ironic or ironically when referring to something that is coincidental.

Comment from BigTime
Time: January 3, 2007, 5:59 pm

So what if the word PWN is traveling outside of the gamer circles into daily speach? Sound like the dude that made that comment is some kind of a game-o-phob… Can’t are culture adapt to new ways of thinking/speaking, or is anyone that doesn’t use the “Queen’s English” an outsider, and someone to be feared.

Comment from Kent Mc Creary
Time: January 3, 2007, 7:36 pm

Isn’t that a word in Jeff Foxworthy’s Redneck dictionary? I’m gonna gitmo of that.

For next years list, here is my nomination. Product of rape. I thought it was a violent crime, not some island people vaction on.

Comment from Doug Wells
Time: January 3, 2007, 8:02 pm

“My Bad!”
Nobody should be allowed to say this any more!
“24/7″ is annoying, but “24/7/365″ is just wrong.
“24 hours per day/7 days per week/365 weeks per what?”
Maybe it should have been “24/7/52,” but now that just sounds so wrong.

Comment from Bob
Time: January 3, 2007, 8:34 pm

“Shot to death” I am still waiting for someone to be “shot to life”.
“Admitted suffering gunshot wounds”. This means someone was walking down the street and then suffered a case of gun shot wounds?! I thought suffering from a stroke or a heart attack was bad enough. Is there some special diet I can follow to avoid suffering from gun shot wounds?

Comment from Dave
Time: January 3, 2007, 9:58 pm

At the end of the day, I think it would be awesome to hear that Racheal Ray has gone missing. How cool is that!?

Comment from Andrew
Time: January 3, 2007, 10:05 pm

First off, u cant ban words. Its funny that u think u can. lolzor.

Actually, there is something about u guys that really pisses me off. Perhaps it is that u guys want to impose ur uber sophisticated will onto others. Pwn is a perfectly good word (pronounced pown) and awesome is like, the greatest word ever. Brangelina is clever and i think im gonna have to start using lamethetic. Btw, zomg truthiness FTW. U guys r saying how much slang sickens u. That sickens me. U guys rn’t any better than that guy out there on the street or that emo teenager in high school. Get over urselves.

Anyway, truthiness won word of the year from webster and so u guys fail.

Comment from Richard Jahn
Time: January 3, 2007, 10:47 pm

Re: Gitmo
I read in an earlier comment where someone made the ridiculous claim that the term Gitmo had to do with sex around the base and the term get more. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Navy designation for Guantanamo Bay which is used in official messages is GTMO, that of course was read out as Gitmo and is the origination of the name.

Comment from Tim
Time: January 4, 2007, 1:17 am

Ask your doctor if Progenitorivoxiliconaladern is right for you! I like how half of these commercials never mention what on earth the drug is for. But they do show you happy people dancing, taking walks through the woods, watching TV, playing golf, etc., because they’ve apparently taken this medicine. Maybe it cures gunshot wounds?

Comment from ancient weaver
Time: January 4, 2007, 1:53 am

Journalistic hyperbole to be banned: Exchanges of criticism shall not be reported in terms of someone “blasting” someone else, nor shall any other exaggerated word or phrase be used to describe such an event.

I am so sick of hearing and reading journalists speak of routine, innane exchanges of criticism spoken of as if they were wizard duels. Either they tone it down, or they should be forced to ratchet it up to the next level of ridiculousness. “Today, the president delivered A FLYING JUMP KICK OF CRITICISM INTO THE FACE of his detractors!”

Comment from Richard Ray Harris
Time: January 4, 2007, 2:17 am

Enough already with the:

Leather APPOINTED seats.
“Sir, I NEED YOU TO…”
GLASS IS HALF EMPTY. FREEDOM ISN’T FREE. CUTTING EDGE.

..and I never want to hear that ANYTHING was either “INCREDIBLE” or “UNBELIEVEABLE.”

Comment from Collin Brendemuehl
Time: January 4, 2007, 8:11 am

You forgot my favorite word from eBay: “Minty”.

Comment from Luanne O’Neill
Time: January 4, 2007, 8:22 am

“Bring to the table”…I hate this expression…professional sports figures with limited vocabulary need to stop using stupid cliche’s and simply say what they mean…”he is an asset to the team because he is a great re-bounder…or he is consistent in his ability to hit 3-point shots.” And that goes for everyone else in the world…remove this expression from the English language for all time.

Comment from Kathy
Time: January 4, 2007, 9:52 am

I wish the list could include vocal fads? For instance? turning every word? and phrase? into a question? where the voice rises instead of dropping? at the end of a sentence? I suppose this is the modern substitute for “you know”? And perhaps we could also ban the latest vocal fad, especially prevalent in young females, of squeezing the vocal chords into a croak, so the last words of a sentence, indeed at times the whole sentence, is strangled out. What are these two habits supposed to signify? Quasi sincerity?

Comment from Matt
Time: January 4, 2007, 9:53 am

Whenever anyone uses a noun as a verb, they should receive 10 lashes with a cane.

Comment from Lois
Time: January 4, 2007, 10:05 am

My gripe is the use of “…een” in an “…ing” word. How much tougher can it be to say “coming” than “comeen”? It’s just a bad habit, so stop it!

Comment from Olaz
Time: January 4, 2007, 10:25 am

Most of you sound like geezers. “Awesome” and “Cool” are awesome and cool words. Move to France.

Comment from katie
Time: January 4, 2007, 11:35 am

and can someone tell me the difference between a muslim and an islamist? is that like the difference between a catholic and a jesusist?
looked it up [wikiality–hahaha]. islam is ’submission to god’s will’ and islamism is islamic fundementalism. so islamiC means ‘of for or by muslims’ and islamiST means ‘of for or by muslims in favor of sharia law’ lest lazy americans confuse the 2 (weary/wary, affect/effect, stealth bomber/bat-plane) should those particular muslim extremists be called Shariaists, as in those who promote shariaism? or is that playing into our bad habit of adding “ism” to our concepts? can we ban the abuse of the suffix “ism”? or will i suffer the angerism of the wordists for my sarcasmism?

Comment from Lyle
Time: January 4, 2007, 11:42 am

Rampant improper use of the word “myself.” Also, dove is a bird that dived.

Comment from Konrad
Time: January 4, 2007, 11:42 am

“WE’RE PREGNANT” - It’s widely accepted among those who work in genetics that roughly 10 per cent of us are not fathered by the man we believe to be dad. It’s understandable that women feel that only they are pregnant and eliminate this phrase from the language justly. Alternatively, you can look at this saying as an affirmation that the man is indeed the father of the child. It should be left at the woman’s discretion to use this phrase and never be uttered by a man.

Comment from name_here
Time: January 4, 2007, 12:18 pm

I think we should add “embolden” and “resolve” to the list. These two words make my skin crawl everytime I listen to them in one of GW’s speeches.

Comment from Olaf
Time: January 4, 2007, 12:24 pm

I’d like to propose a new phrase: “Language Nazi”. It refers to someone who believes they have the right to tell everyone else how they should speak or write.

Comment from Sue
Time: January 4, 2007, 12:39 pm

The trendy ‘With’ must be banished….

Can I go WITH?

WITH who? Me? Who? What are you saying? Go away.

Comment from CRT
Time: January 4, 2007, 1:33 pm

To Matt:

To quote Calvin and Hobbes: “Verbing wierds language.”

Actually verbing is a fairly common linguistic process. Note, however, that this list only affects The Queen’s English (and only unofficially),,, These are however lay terms. Professional linguists rarely use terms like verbing or nouning since words so frequently derive from other classifications of words (for example, swan comes from a root meaning “to sing” and day comes from a root meaning “to burn”).

Or we could all go back to speaking Proto-Indo-European

Comment from C. Murders
Time: January 4, 2007, 1:44 pm

The phrase I have the biggest problem with is “Armed Robbery.” Armed Robbery refers to the act of robbery with an armament (weapon). It is also referred to as Aggravated Robbery. This is a legitimate law enforcement term and should not be on the list. “Armed Robbery” is not synonymous with “Drug Deal Gone Bad.”

Comment from Ralok
Time: January 4, 2007, 3:58 pm

I think this list isnt Awsome you should Search for better words instead of acting like infants and trying to get words that you dont like banned it is childish

you got pwned

Comment from eastcoaster
Time: January 4, 2007, 4:18 pm

“Awesome”?? This is a clear shot across the bow for all proud (if slightly skanky) Bostonians everywhere. What’s next: “wicked pissah”? It’s not just our language we’re talking about here, it’s our very heritage.
How about restricting Los Angeleans from using “like” no more than once per month?
Be forewarned, Allston bar jockeys and big-hair chicks from Roslindale can only be pushed so fah!
Chahlies and Bahnies unite! Bewayah! Theyah aah no accidents!

Comment from CRT
Time: January 4, 2007, 4:51 pm

One more nominee:

“The Queen’s English” should be banned from Contemporary Standard American English except as a reference to the official dialect of the UK. As a college in Michigan, I suspect you have no input on The Queens English, nor do many Americans speak it.

The equivalent in the US is sometimes called “Broadcaster English.” This might be a better title for your next list

Comment from Ted Padgett
Time: January 4, 2007, 7:32 pm

Whence all the hostility toward the chipotle? It is a smoked and dried jalapeno. Those who don’t like piquant food might wish there were fewer chipotles, but why ban the name of a food? Is “smoked and dried jalapeno” easier or clearer? Is “lox”, oh, sorry, smoked salmon, next?

If one does not appear when one is expected, one has not appeared or has disappeared. “Gone missing” is pompous. The reason we hear it so often is its overuse by television and radio news readers, who lead the pompous parade in the U.S.

Comment from Aegisknight
Time: January 4, 2007, 10:14 pm

HEY!

Get Truthiness off that list right now! If anything, it wasn’t used enough!

If you watched the show, and changed the world like the Colbert Nation has, you’d know the herecy you have committed!

Oh, BTW, we have 4x Nation members as you have university students. How’s that taste? It tastes like victory to me. And a bit truthy

Comment from Meghan Durett
Time: January 4, 2007, 11:41 pm

Lake Superior State. Michigan? Wisconsin? The United States of America? Canada?

Comment from Amelia
Time: January 5, 2007, 12:12 am

Sorry but this years list is poor and ridiculous. I can understand the combination of names, that is getting pretty tiring. But who are you to even say that America is getting tired with these words. Awesome has been overused since it first orginated…It’s that type of word. Like…like. I’m tired of hearing perky blondes and wannabe popular brunettes and red heads say like in every sentence that comes out of their mouth, like oh my god, like shut up already. If that didn’t make it.. then…theres no use to even look at this list. “Coming soon to a theater near you” hmm what’s wrong with that? nothing. Just because it annoys you doesnt mean it should be banned.
“Ask your doctor” yeah Im annoyed at all the commericals that have the need to force some type of drug down your throat that may protentially kill you. But umm, if you dont ask your doctor, and you take this drug.. see it might just kill you. Versus if you had asked your doctor, he would’ve told your dumb self that maybe you shouldn’t take this man-made piece of crap. But then again you dont want to hear “ask you doctor” But you’ll be more than happy to watch hours of laguana beach and dumb blonde homewreckers say like every five seconds.
“We’re Pregnant”…I agree with the fact that yes men do not feel the pain, they just stand there by the bed, and feel nasueated at the sight of their womans vagina being stretched open and the sight of a head coming out of it. But as a woman, I have no problem with hearing the phrase we’re pregnant. Excuse them for wanting to be apart of something amazing, and “awesome” ^.^. Many of us women leave the men out, and when the child is born we ignore them even more. Because the child is our life…and yea we gave birth to them…that’s our baby no matter what. But when he leaves you complaining about not being apart of your life, or your not paying attention him, or you just dont talk any more, or theres just no love…you have no one to blame but yourself for SOME of it. Men are whores, most of them. if they intend on having affairs they have affairs, but you as a woman need to understand… that they are also very much like children. Having sex with them at least one a week wont kill you. Just like saying We’re pregnant won’t do any damage either.
“i-anything” Im tired of people complaing about the whole I-revolution. Ipod, itunes, irobot, iwhatever. Its a money making business, just because you get sucked into it and spend thousands of dollars doesnt mean you have to now complain about it. It will continue to make money no matter how much you rant and rave about it…pretty much like the overused word…”like”
Healthy food and chipolte…healthy food revolution. first people complained about too much bad food options on the television and bad television advertisements that lead our youth into eating fatty foods and eventually making them overweight. Now… I hear complaints about healthy food. Theres no pleasing people, is there. Chipolte…it tastes good…its everywhere. Get over it. Not a big deal. if you dont want anything with chipolte in it or on it, dont look at it or order it. Problem solved dont you think?

Comment from Shishu
Time: January 5, 2007, 4:14 am

Okay, WHY do you have Truthiness on your list? I’ve never heard anybody use the word in real life conversation. Pwn, yes; people say it all the time, it’s a verb, and it’s standard nerd vocabulary. But truthiness? Wtf? It came into being a little over a year ago, and it most certainly has not been used up. Only recently has the concept been really taken seriously, and even more recently has it been added to the dictionary.

“Banning” truthiness just proves that you don’t understand the concept. It’s meant to be a joke in itself; Colbert came up with the word right before the first show aired. You guys seem to come up with this list by means of truthiness yourselves. Ban search because it’s been “replaced” by google? Right.

It’s barely even breeched everyday vocabulary. Unless you’ve gotten to the point where people who aren’t even aware of the show use the word, then I can’t possibly see why you would ban it. It’s supposed to represent people that would ignore the facts, and simply spew their compassionate feelings about an issue, and I’ve yet to see the public be so aware of the concept that it’s getting to be ironically annoying.

The rest of the Nation should be coming in here to agree with me shortly.

Comment from angryrose
Time: January 5, 2007, 5:33 am

Are you kidding?

You banished Truthiness?

You know, get over the fact that Stephen Colbert made your city look like garbage by trash talking it into the sewer on behalf of Saginaw.

Truthiness is the word of the year. Deal with it.

Comment from Dianne
Time: January 5, 2007, 9:11 am

Why kill search and replace it with “google”? I don’t even use Google for my primary search engine. Using commercial names as verbs is a lazy way of thinking and speaking, and simply provides cheap advertising for a specific product for no good reason. I will continue to use “search” and resist the takeover the world by Google-maniacs.

Comment from Duncan Sample
Time: January 5, 2007, 11:46 am

I completely agree with Joe’s comments that American English (or US English) is NOT English, British English or The Queen’s English, and that the terms used in this list are from American English.

I have never used the so called verb ‘google’ and deam it an unnecessary trademark which has entered modern dictionaries. It is ‘google’ which should be banished, not ’search’, as google is an extremely narrow interpretation of the meaning of ’search’.

I also fully agree and support Joe’s comment that a Theatre shows theatrical performances, and not film. Films are shown in a cinema, not a theatre. Also note the American (again, not ‘The Queen’s’) English spelling of ‘theater’.

Comment from Steven in SF
Time: January 5, 2007, 11:51 am

A Nominee:
“Thank You” when used as a response to Thank you…..I believe the proper and kinder answer is “You’re Welcome”… it acknowledges gratefulness and connotes an interaction….just saying thank you back is selfish and ridiculous! Thank you for being here for me to get this off me chest…Happy New Year!!!

Comment from Bob Hart
Time: January 5, 2007, 12:42 pm

How about a ban on the use of “incidences” when they mean incidents. This has slowly seeped into the language and is now seems to be used by all levels of class and education. It may have started as a regional thing as I recently heard someone from Texas say accidentces instead of accidents. Or are they saying accidentez? Plurals of nouns ending in t or st seem to get a ez sound put on the end such as “postez” for the plural of post.

Comment from Dave Mesrey
Time: January 5, 2007, 12:46 pm

“The English language gives us the inestimable advantage of being able to put adverbs where they will be effective.”

—Joseph Lee, in “A Defense of the Split Infinitive,” 1952

“Although few armchair grammarians seem to know it, some split infinitives are perfectly proper. … Knowing when to split an infinitive requires a good ear and a keen eye.”

—Bryan A. Garner, in Garner’s Modern American Usage, 2003

Think about the intro to Star Trek …

“To boldly go where no man has gone before … ”

Would it sound better if they’d said, “To go boldly where no man has gone before”?

Perhaps to those of us with tin ears.

Fear not the split infinitive … and consult Garner if you have any questions.

Comment from Jacqueline Givens Simmons
Time: January 5, 2007, 1:26 pm

RE: BOASTS

Realtors Beware. You say your seller’s “master bedroom boasts his-and-her fireplaces”, make sure that you can hear it load and clear in at least two languages. In these litigious times you could loose a small fortune if your master bedroom ends up being mute.

Comment from Karen Danson
Time: January 5, 2007, 2:09 pm

I think the word “like” should be used as it is supposed to be. I am so tired of hearing people who like use like whenever they need to like need to add an extra word in someplace so they like have to say like every other word. So maybe banish is too strong–misuse maybe.

Comment from Sal
Time: January 5, 2007, 2:14 pm

“Sweet” needs to be abolished except when commenting about tea or a little one.

Comment from John R
Time: January 5, 2007, 3:13 pm

I’m surprised you missed PASSION. It’s now universally overused, particularly by business speakers and copywriters to describe the new energy animating their failing companies.
From business people to politicians to educators to show biz personalities, everyone is boasting about their “passion” for this or that. It’s time to send “passion” to the showers.

Comment from Cheryl
Time: January 5, 2007, 3:22 pm

Sorry guys. But GITMO has been around since BEFORE WWII. It was used as an acronym for the military just as they have millions of other acronyms. There’s nothing new about GITMO. Many of you are very young, I’m sure.

I’d like to see the phrase “get where I’m comin’ from” totally banished from society. Get where I’m comin’ from? VERY OVERUSED.

And hopefully, the OLD hippies will stop using “dude” soon. I hate it. Especially when I see a guy talking to a girl - UGH!

Comment from Phronsie
Time: January 5, 2007, 3:28 pm

Whoo! I’m so glad “went missing” is on the list! That one ALWAYS bugs me!

Comment from Tom
Time: January 5, 2007, 4:35 pm

Please add to next year’s list “the perfect gift”, one of obnoxious phrases ad-writers drag out for holidays.
Another one: :”just in time for . . .(whatever hioliday).
California Tom

Comment from mary smith
Time: January 5, 2007, 4:50 pm

sureal

Comment from Chris
Time: January 5, 2007, 4:53 pm

I was so happy to see ‘awesome’ and ‘gone missing’ on the list … I want to throw a rock through my TV every time I hear it! The folks who write the news should learn grammar (Mr. So-and-So was reported missing at 6 p.m. this evening) and everyone who uses ‘awesome’ should find a new word (no, the egg skillet I ordered for breakfast is NOT awesome).

A comment on “ask your doctor” … it’s part of the check list required by the FCC. If the ad is about a drug with no competition, you won’t find out what it treats until you talk to your doctor. If there is competition, the ad will tell you what it’s for, offer a web site, cite a printed ad in a fairly obscure magazine, give a phone number, AND the advice to “ask your doctor.”

Comment from Madelyn A.
Time: January 5, 2007, 5:13 pm

Our state government regularly contemplates issuing drivers’ licenses to “undocumented” aliens, thus rendering them documented…but still illegal!

Comment from gamma-ma
Time: January 5, 2007, 6:20 pm

I am so supprised that someone did not already come up with the terrible TV names, McSteamy? Oh really. That steams me. McDreamy was bad enough. I honestly quit watching Gray’s just because of that. And on top of that, the expression on the face of the actor when he was called McDreamy, to his face, was a “picture” in acting. So innocent I wanted to shake him…Hard.

Comment from Sam
Time: January 5, 2007, 7:39 pm

Cheryl,

Dude, chill out. “Dude” has been with us since the western frontier days. Don’t like it? Tough.

What I think needs to be on this list is “GAY.” It’s meaning has been utterly molested from its original meaning of “happy” to mean “homosexual.” How the hell did that happen?

And speaking of phrases, How the Hell did “How the Hell” and its ilk not make it into the list? What in God’s Name are people thinking of when they come up with crazy euphamismic explatives like these?

Comment from straydata.com
Time: January 5, 2007, 7:40 pm

Is there some source to be cited that indicates that food can’t be “healthy”?

Comment from Jeff
Time: January 5, 2007, 9:05 pm

Truthiness!! …Truthiness!! … Truthiiiness!! I’m still using it! I guess I’m just alll “out of style.” Isn’t that just chaotic?

- Lake
- Superior
- State
- University

Theres my banished words list.

How does that feel? eh?

Take it off the list.

Comment from Joan
Time: January 5, 2007, 10:47 pm

I’ve read at least 1/3 of the comments and have had enough…
however I am surprised that ‘EXCITING’ is not on the list…
‘exciting’ programs, ‘exciting’ books, ‘exciting’ trips, ‘exciting’ parties, ‘exciting’ games…. we are assaulted, numerous times daily, by the use of the word EXCITING! Look it up!! very little of anything the word is attached to is truly exciting… I’m sick of the cackle….doesn’t that sound exciting????

Comment from John Walker
Time: January 6, 2007, 1:44 am

“MY BAD”

Needs to be banned!

Comment from Elizabeth
Time: January 6, 2007, 2:09 am

I would like to banish the word “LIKE” from the vocabulary of many people, particularly under the age of 30. I frequently hear on public transit around 4 PM something like this ” Well, LIKE, she went LIKE went crazy when I LIKE asked her to LIKE get the work done. LIKE, what’s her problem?” Argghhh… I just want to get up from my seat on the bus and scream at them to speak English.

Also, please ban “BLAH, BLAH, BLAH”. That phrase is so overuse it like drives me like crazy!

Comment from Kay
Time: January 6, 2007, 2:41 am

Here are some of my pet hates which should be added to the banned list:

* Like - you know like. What does that mean? Grates on my nerves.
* Yeah - No. Very common in Australia and extremely irritating. Makes no sense at all.
* Cool - totally overused, irritating and boring.
* Absolutely! - Used when people really mean a simple yes. Drives me nuts.
* You know what I mean? No, I don’t know what you mean - that’s why I am asking.
* The reason why … This is nonsense. The reason is why and why is the reason. No need for both.
* Saying preform instead of perform - many radio jocks are guilty of this.

Comment from Michael Thomas
Time: January 6, 2007, 6:49 am

The redundancy of sportscasters who report “so-and-so shut out so-and-so 3 - 0″. Or “blanked the so-and-so, 3 - 0″.
How about just shut out so-and-so by 3.

Comment from Kevin
Time: January 6, 2007, 10:12 am

Most Annoying: “PIN Number”, “VIN Number”, “GUI Interface” - In our incredibly verbose society, are the acronyms PIN, VIN and GUI just too short?

Comment from Brad
Time: January 6, 2007, 12:00 pm

Look out LSSU, Colbert’s going to put you on notice at the very least for the truthiness banning. No matter what Dr. Colbert does, your insitution’s already dead to me.

Comment from Lawrence Berk
Time: January 6, 2007, 2:03 pm

The two ladies who commented above on “we’re pregnant” took the words right out of this father’s aging consciousness where he has been bothered by this attempt by sperm producers to share in the joys and pains of being with child. Rather than a 9-month grounding, would permanent banishment work for you?

Comment from ken
Time: January 6, 2007, 2:33 pm

I have an overarching goal to see the word “overarching” banished from our language.

Comment from Nina
Time: January 6, 2007, 4:24 pm

Carol, it’s not just laziness by those who use “so fun”. They think that it’s “cool” or clever or “in”.

John Walker, I agree with you that rap and music should not be used in the same sentence.

How about, I had GREAT time? Doesn’t GREAT mean LARGE?
Does anyone remember that TERRIFIC means TERRIBLE or BAD? It was a terrific storm or I had terrific toothache. So what are they saying when they say “I HAD A TERRIFIC TIME AT THE PARTY .”?
Also, “I’M OUTTA HERE”. Please, all of you folks who say that, please wait until you acutally are OUTTA HERE until you say it.

Comment from Patsey
Time: January 6, 2007, 7:46 pm

I thought the comment concerning “boast” in ads for houses for sale was great - very funny!

Comment from Art
Time: January 6, 2007, 9:04 pm

RE Gitmo: The acronymn for Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is probably older than many of the respondants. Gitmo was and is a training base for our Navy, I trained there in the mid 1970’s and it was GITMO long before that.

Comment from Elizabeth
Time: January 7, 2007, 2:28 pm

I deplore the phrase “give it up for…”. Please, TV show hosts, stop saying that!

Also, can someone please explain what “pwn” means?

Comment from Mary Wolfson
Time: January 7, 2007, 5:00 pm

My additions:

PROLLY — widely used Internet slang for “probably.” I know that slang words on the ‘Net open up a brand new can of worms, and this is one of many. I hate having to read and decipher what amounts to a modern Snuffy Smith cartoon strip.

KNOW WHAT I’M SAY’N - phrase most often heard by rap “musicians” and sports players (most of the time, my answer to that question would be a resounding, “NO!”

XTREME - Nothing can be just what it is anymore. It has to be “Xtreme fill-in-the-blank.” Give me a break…

Some of the words on the list, though, don’t bother me at all. But hands down, without a doubt, needs to never occur in the American English language ever again is the DREADED COMBINED CELEBRITY NAMES. For the love of God, stop this!

Comment from Gary Curtis
Time: January 8, 2007, 1:56 am

“Undocumented Alien” is an accurate and appropriate usage. It differentiates the undocumented alien from all of the documented aliens who are in this country, some of whom are enrolled or teach at Lake Superior State. I would not think that things have changed that much from when I was there.

Comment from Kate Pavlou
Time: January 8, 2007, 7:29 am

How about adding “to perfection,” as in “grilled to perfection” to your list? It’s difficult to find a menu or see a commercial for nearly any type of restaurant or food that doesn’t use the phrase.

Comment from Bruce
Time: January 8, 2007, 10:18 am

Combined celebrity names are about as annoying as can be. I wish this ban could be enforced! I’d also like to see the baseball announcer’s phrase “He Gone” banished from my poor ears.

There are a couple of entries this year that I just don’t understand. Why is “search” banished? Did anyone notice that the upper right corner of this page has a “Site search” input. Should this say “Site google” or “Site locate” instead?

Comment from dan bernard
Time: January 8, 2007, 1:35 pm

“It is what it is” …..

Need I say more? This has become part of the lexicon. What else would it be other than what it is?

Comment from Mickie
Time: January 8, 2007, 2:30 pm

I think it’s awesome that the word awesome is on this list. The awesome misuse of the word awesome has lead to an awesome inability for people to come up with any other awesome adjectives. It would be truely awesome if they would use a thesaurus. I would be in awe!

Comment from Michael
Time: January 8, 2007, 6:06 pm

Why put “pwned” on there without putting “owned” on as well? The real misspelling is overused just as often.

Comment from Baz
Time: January 8, 2007, 8:56 pm

Not sure about you ST’s but here in Oz evry sentence seems to have the mandatory “basically” included. It makes me madder than a cut snake !

Comment from Eric
Time: January 8, 2007, 11:41 pm

Instead of banning search, ban google, I am sick and tired of people saying that they googled it, get over it, call it what it really is, search.

Comment from Altor
Time: January 9, 2007, 10:16 am

For Steven Colbert and those of you who defend “truthiness”: The word “veracity” has been around for quite a while. There’s no need to invent a new word.

I also originally disagreed with the inclusion of “Gitmo.” But remember, the list is for those who misuse or overuse a word or phrase. When sailors call the base Gitmo, they do so out of tradition and respect. When members of the media call the base Gitmo, they believe they’ve found a found a pleasant name to describe an unpleasant place.

The same argument can be made for “chipotle.” If you are talking about the smoked pepper, that is fine. The list is condemning the overuse of the word to describe a flavor or seasoning added to a growing number of otherwise average fast-food meals.

If you are correctly using any of these phrases (at least those that can be used correctly), I have no problem with that. The point of the list is to draw attention to the phrases that we use and to make you think twice about the words you are using before you speak or write.

Comment from Paul
Time: January 9, 2007, 10:29 am

“Robust” should be banished. It once described a certain coffee brand. It is an adjective but is now used as an adverb in place of “overwhelmingly”. The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word as meaning “full of health and vigor” but it is now used to describe everything from the rising stock market to what is needed to win in Irag. Also, the phrase” do you know what I mean” should be eliminated. It is a longer version of the former “you know.” Finally, get rid of “like” when used as a synonym for “sort of”.

Comment from Bear hunter
Time: January 9, 2007, 10:52 am

Truthiness is a satirical term invented[1] by Stephen Colbert in reference to the quality by which a person claims to know something intuitively, instinctively, or “from the gut” without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or actual facts (similar to the meaning of “bellyfeel”, a Newspeak term from George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four).

Comment from Fen
Time: January 9, 2007, 12:01 pm

Did you people honestly bring up the ancient “healthy/healthful” debate? For Pete’s sake.

First, the two words have been used interchangeably by the finest writers for centuries. Second, this distinction was quite the grammatical bugaboo back when William Safire was in short pants. Today it’s a shibboleth - an outright cliche for the out-of-touch grammarian.

Pray, will this banishing of grammatical mistakes that have enjoyed wide acceptance for decades continue? What will be on the block next year? Stranded prepositions? Perhaps the use of “hopefully” as a sentence adverb? Jeez.

Comment from cyndi
Time: January 9, 2007, 3:51 pm

I’d love to see “that’s what I’m talkin’ about” banned. So annoying! Usually the person who speaks it hasn’t even said anything! It’s just silly!!

Comment from Gail B.
Time: January 9, 2007, 4:59 pm

Where’s “Perfect storm”? Without a doubt this year’s most overused expression!

Comment from The Longhorn
Time: January 9, 2007, 7:01 pm

):o I’ve never had a problem with “winningest”, but if the score is 21-14, then there’s a seven point DIFFERENCE, not a seven point DIFFERENTIAL. A differential is that thing that splits the axles on your car, so the wheels will turn at their own pace, when going around corners or curves.

):o And if you’re bothered by “PIN number”, then you’ll also hate “IAW with”, & “ERA Amendment”.

):o Moo.

Comment from Brian
Time: January 9, 2007, 9:08 pm

I love watching prescriptivists have cows about the natural change that all languages go through. I’d bother to explain the nature of language to you, but can’t do it nearly as well as Guy Deutscher does in “The Unfolding of Language.” Buy it. Read it. Shut your hole.

Comment from smiley
Time: January 10, 2007, 2:05 am

sigh. Neologisms are one of the only cultural assets that American English can properly claim. I’d argue that the only other meaningful linguistic innovation we have is the (recently emergent? increasingly common?) practice of “verbing” nouns. And they admit that “google” is replacing “search” (although this is really only true w/r/t the internet) so if we can have one, why not the other?

Sure, I agree with the LSSU folks that celebrity name combinations are obnoxious, but only because the celebrities themselves are obnoxious. A headline containing “Brangelina” doesn’t put me off any more than “Angelina- Pregnant AGAIN!? WE HAVE PHOTOZZ!!1!” becuase the source of my annoyance isn’t the name, it’s that someone wasted ink printing the story, and some sad loser will buy the magazine it’s printed in.

The list itself is impressive only in its prescient ability to deny cultural and technological advances of 2006 and 2007. Just today, Apple today announced the iPhone, insuring that “i-something” will continue to be a widely-used noun for at least the next 10 years. At least, that is, in places where cell phones can be expected to work- guess Michigan doesn’t have to worry about that. “We’re pregnant?” Sure, because men should be at work, and women should be barefoot and pregnant, in the kitchen, and dinner better be on the plate when he walks in the door, right? No room for “we” in Michigan. “pwned?” If you’re seeing this so much, perhaps you spend too much time surfing the web. afaik it’s not a term that can be spoken in face-to-face conversation- but I guess if you’re drunk in your dorm room becuase the sun goes down at 3:30 PM, sitting in front of your computer is just about all you can expect to do.

Upjohn/Pfizer is gone. The US auto industry is dying. More people left the state of Michigan in 2006 than any other state of the union. If LSSU wants to perpetuate the idea that Michigan is only a “flyover state,” peopled only with Luddites and Canadians, this feature is a huge step in the right direction.

Comment from justin
Time: January 10, 2007, 1:04 pm

i dont think the word awsome should be banned because that has been around for as long as the baby bommers have been

Comment from Altor
Time: January 10, 2007, 3:29 pm

Also, for those defending “search,” read the reason it is banished: “Quasi-anachronism.”

The problem is that we you use Google or Yahoo or Alta Vista, you are not doing any kind of search. The search engine has already searched the Internet and indexed the words on each page it has found. When you submit your search terms, you are really querying that index to look for the best matches. This is why it is a quasi-anachronism. The real search was completed before you submitted your “search.”

Comment from MARK A.
Time: January 10, 2007, 4:53 pm

GITMO has been around since long before this anime crap and probably long before Marcus W. was ever born. Has Marcus served his country in the US Navy or one of the other branches of the Armed Forces ????? Perhaps he should do his homework and open his eyes and ears before he does his mouth !!!

Comment from jackson smith
Time: January 10, 2007, 4:55 pm

sorry pretentious people, but Gitmo has been around as an affectionate appelation for Guantanamo, far longer than your list has existed.

Comment from Piers
Time: January 10, 2007, 6:31 pm

There is absolutely nothing wrong with gamers using the term “pwn” in real life. The influence of video games has never stopped to manifest itself into popular culture, and it shouldn’t be hindered now.

On the other hand, the misuse of terms “essentially,” “technically” and “ATM machine” are quite common and irritating.

Comment from D. Ruymann
Time: January 10, 2007, 9:34 pm

“Combined Celebrity Names” - I thought “Brangelina” was bad, but M. Foster’s rendition, “Bragelina” is repugnant!

Comment from Dan Zellman
Time: January 11, 2007, 9:52 am

Photoshop is not a verb. Nome sane?

And I would like to add that I am particularly irked when a television or radio reporter says to his/her interview subject, …”then let me ask you this…” Isn’t that what interviewers are supposed to do? And the subject supposed to expect? (NPR is notorious for this.) Just ask the question!

Unless the question is “begged…”

Comment from Bruce Kempt
Time: January 11, 2007, 11:42 am

Here’s a few for your consideration in terms of “banning”:

1) The word “absolutely”, as in she drives me “absolutely” insane. How about, “she infuriates me”?

2) In keep with number 1, how about adding any word with
an “ly” ending? Such as “relentlessly”, “effortlessly”,
“luxuriously”, and so on. The person who introduced the “ly”
to word endings should be shot!

3) Starting a sentence with the phrase “you know”, as in
“You know, that defense of the Denver Broncos kept us busy most of the day, but we solved them and won the game.”
I watch professional athletes on television after a match, and sometimes their statements make you want to say,
“What was that?”

4) The phrase “like, DUH!” Just WHO invented that? My God.

5) “Indirectly related”. How are you “indirectly related” to an individual, event, or otherwise? A relationship is always based on something that happened (whether by birth; being in a place at the time of the occurrence; or some other element), so it is a “direct” relationship, simply to a lesser degree. Take “indirectly” OUT. It has no use in the English language.

6) “Pay TV”. That aberration deserves a quick banishment.
Is there ever a time when you DON’T pay for Television? True,
there are packages available that require additional funding for extra channels. But you ARE paying.

7) The words “under” and “over”. Talk about a duo that get
used in excess. “Underwater”…how about “submerged”?
“Overeat…how about gorge”? I would be ecstatic to see that pair depart.

8) “Ruler”. How THAT aberration was brought into existence is beyond me. For example, “Rulers of 17th-century England” would be better rendered as “Kings and Queens of
the British realm for the 17th-century. And a “Ruler” utilised in the context of a measuring stick (ie: a 12-inch “ruler”)?
Give me a break. Put it in exile!

9) “File folder”. Sounds like something you would do to a file,
not something that a file goes into (anyone for paper airplanes?). How about “document holder”, or a similar title.

10) “Photog”. If you’re too lazy to use the term “photographer”, go home! I cannot stand abbreviated language.

That’s a good start. Don’t worry. More will come!

Bruce.

Comment from GatorNavy
Time: January 11, 2007, 1:31 pm

Guantanamo Bay was Gitmo long before the popularity of Japanese cartoon characters. And to those sailors and marines stationed there, the word conjured no warm, fuzzy images, but a stark, lonely duty on enemy soil.

Comment from Robin
Time: January 11, 2007, 6:21 pm

Just heard another one, thank goodness for advertising - these people are now “sponsoring” education….. oh dear.

Immunitized

huh?

Comment from David
Time: January 11, 2007, 9:47 pm

I don’t know how old Marcus of St. Louis is, But it was called GITMO when I was in the Navy in 1975. I’ll bet the cute little Japanese anime wasn’t around back then.

Comment from Lethe
Time: January 11, 2007, 10:31 pm

Chipotle really does deserve to be banned. I love to cook with them too but it’s gone too far when I can walk into any store or restaurant and see anything from chipotle chips to chipotle burgers, maybe even chipotle sphaghetti. AUUUUUU! The poor word has gotten too popular. I do wish someone would ban gender too, or has it been banned? I have a sex, not a gender because I’m not an object.

Comment from Arthur In Trinidad
Time: January 12, 2007, 11:45 am

GITMO - Just check the film “A Few Good Men” with Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore and Tom Mapother (bka Tom Cruise). That’s when I first heard it

SEARCH - Sorry folks, I’d rather search for something than “Google” it. “Just Google him”… sounds like an act between consenting adults behind closed doors. Besides, Google is a BRAND. Can I google something using Yahoo! or AltaVista?

And if it hasn’t been nominated - NU-KEE-LER. There is something fundamentally wrong with a US President who is unable to pronounce “nuclear”. I heard that his wife teases him about it. Put her in charge instead.

Comment from susan r.
Time: January 13, 2007, 9:50 pm

Overused; definately. Replaced by Google? Not nesecarily… All hail Yahoo!

Comment from Ian
Time: January 14, 2007, 2:32 pm

My contenders for banishment are:

1. “going forward” - usually uttered by financial analyst types wearing those smarty librarian glasses

2. “re-inventing” anything i.e. “Company X has reinvented the cell phone…”

3. “at this point in time” - politicians are the worst for this one. Get out your your old physics text and re-read the section on Space and Time.

Comment from Gordon
Time: January 14, 2007, 3:53 pm

GO MISSING–Adding to “My Cat Is an Orange Tabby” above, “go” in this sense is OED meaning 44: “To pass into a certain condition. Chiefly implying deterioration.” (Can’t Lake Superior State afford an OED?) “Missing,” though formed from a verb, is of course an adjective; “go missing” dates to 1958. So the expression, though newish in U.S. English, is grammatically and idiomatically sound. An American analogy might be “go AWOL” (pron. ay-wole).

Two complaints of my own:

GENDER (see “Lethe” above): Useful for emphasizing social roles but overused by journalists who apparently feel vaguely that “sex” is itself “sexist.” When a new tiger is born at the zoo, what is still undetermined is its sex, but in the papers, the word is likely to be “gender.” (Of course, the writers may simply be varying their vocabulary; see Fowler, s.v. “elegant variation.”)

SPIRITUALITY: Commonly used in implicit praise of one’s own religious beliefs and those of one’s buddies, especially if they connect somehow with something non-white or non-Western. “Those people over there have dogmas; you go to church; I express my spirituality.”

Comment from Louis J Trauth III
Time: January 15, 2007, 4:19 am

If my wife heard me say “We’re pregnant.”, 30+ years ago when the kids were coming, she probably would have said, “WE’s a horseturd!”

Comment from G
Time: January 15, 2007, 1:06 pm

This is extremely annoying. Banishing words should not be allowed in my opinion. PWN, or PWNED I will agree on. Awesome, I may hate the word, but it’s OK if other people say it, but not with me around. Now playing in theaters, it may sound idiotic to some, but not me. It’s a tradition for commercials. Why does that have to go? Ban the word search? Come on people, you’re going to make companies like Yahoo! say google instead? Might as well make one search engine. Healthy food. Hmm. That is weird how that made the list. Well, I’ve heard evreything now!

We’re pregnant. That phrase shouldn’t be banned. I don’t see any way how it can be banned. Combined celebrity names, come on people. The celebrities are running out of names as it is. Gone/went missing, it’s a phrase I don’t ever remember hearing, but I’m just nuetral on that note. Ask your doctor. Well, how are you going to replace the phrase? And finally, boasts? It’s just another name for brag, people. Well, maybe also other things, but these words are not idiotic. Give me ten good reasons why.

Comment from Cindy
Time: January 15, 2007, 6:30 pm

AWESOME! I haven’t thought about the word alot until recently when someone told me I was a “wicked awesome chick” and that’s supposed to be a good thing! The word “awesome” seems to have been replace by “amazing” in my part of the world. The problem is, you have to be looking at the person’s face to determine whether it is a derogatory remark and a compliment.

Comment from Cindy
Time: January 15, 2007, 6:50 pm

I’d like to make a correction to my comments on “AWESOME”. The las sentence should read …derogatory remark or a compliment.

Thank you!

Comment from JRJ
Time: January 16, 2007, 11:34 am

The awkward “GOING FORWARD” has to be one of the most annoying constructs ever. I hear it all the time. It shouold be banned forever, and everyone who uses it should have their mouth washed out with cheap soap.

If I never hear it again in the future ( a perfectly acceptable phrase in lieu thereof) it’ll still be banned too late.

“DRILL DOWN” is a close second! Another bit of pseudo-intellectual econo-biz newspeak that should be dodoized.

Comment from Elizabeth Roberts
Time: January 16, 2007, 11:25 pm

Thank you Frizzy Kitty for your hilarious post, especially regarding “Got your back”, and “baby bump”- eeyyuuh! gag me w. a spoon!

I’d like to nominate the following phrases for banishment:

1) “Have a good one.” One? What? (The bastard child of “Have a nice day.”),
and,
2) “hard core”, as in, “Aunt Sue is hard core into scrapbooking this winter.” When did it stop referring to XXX videos?

Comment from Clicheman
Time: January 17, 2007, 6:49 am

I agree 100%.

“Sometimes I agree just 60% but I don’t call that a disagreement. I call that a percentage.”

Comment from Jim360
Time: January 17, 2007, 7:56 am

James (14th post from the top), I thought (as hard as that apparently may be for some of us these days) about the following thoughts of yours: “It just so happens to take two to make a female pregnant, whether human or whether of any other animal species.”

Apparently you’ve never thought of parthenogenesis. (Look it up. Please.) But do keep “thinking”, OK?

Comment from G Cook
Time: January 17, 2007, 8:39 am

I think the following words have been completely neutered because of their over use; Freedom, Extreme, Terror and anything that begins with a lower case “i”.

Comment from Bret
Time: January 17, 2007, 4:55 pm

Women can have their pregnancy. God knows I don’t want it.

Comment from Mary Carol
Time: January 18, 2007, 9:35 am

I shudder every time I hear a newscaster use the term “went missing”. What happened to the grammar we learned in school? Newscasters, as sll public speakers, should be particularly careful of their use of language as they are heard by so many people.

Comment from GG
Time: January 18, 2007, 10:54 am

That. People use “that” very often when not necessary. “…state that I could…” Should the “that” be removed, the sentence would still hold the same meaning.

Comment from Jim Hughes
Time: January 19, 2007, 5:31 pm

Nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular nucular.

Comment from santa dave
Time: January 19, 2007, 7:30 pm

Here’s some words that should be banned. Paris Hilton, Terrell Owens, Lindsay Lohan, Brittney Spears, Shaquille O’Neal, Barry Bonds, Madonna, Michael Jackson and any other pompous celebrity ass that should keep his or her mouth shut and be thankful for what they have. If the media would just ignore them perhaps they would go away! Which would be just as good as banished!

Comment from Mexican Chipotle
Time: January 23, 2007, 5:19 pm

All,
First, on the chipotle banishing, I will have to disagree, since, as others have previously stated, it is a Mexican (I’m not sure it is found in another country or not, but if it is, sorry for not including you in the origin of the chile) chile that perhaps in the United States is been abused. In Mexico it will never be abused, since we do not only use it to cook, but a lot of people use it for everything (salt, pepper, chipotle or any other chile sauce at hand), so, please don’t ban it. I will also like to tell you that it is CHIPOTLE (T before the L), since a lot of you misspelled it, the name is not in English (not for you to banish) but it was original from the Aztecs, whose language was nahuatl, and it was CHIPOTL. The Spaniards couldn’t say it right, hence the E at the end.

Another thing, I would greatly support banishing Nuk-U-Lar, but it was banished on 1978, so we should just tell Mr. Bush Jr. about it, he might stop using it.

Best to all and sorry if I sounded obnoxious, but hate it went people decide a word in Spanish is not what it is (i.e. a burrito is not a flour tortilla with whatever you want to put in it).

Comment from Eileen Wagner
Time: January 23, 2007, 7:08 pm

Navy sailors and Marines stationed there refer to Guantanamo Bay as “Gitmo”. I’m sure that’s where reporters picked it up, and now everyone uses it. That’s how I heard it referred to when I was in the Navy and transferring people there.

Comment from Andrew
Time: January 24, 2007, 4:02 pm

people just don’t understand the word “pwn.”

oh, and charles, nice comment with the fig trees

Comment from Andrew
Time: January 24, 2007, 4:05 pm

elizabeth, i hereby nominate your “gag me w. a spoon” comment for the 2008 list. why use a spoon?? where did it come in? ironic that is should be used in a comment on this list

Comment from Susan
Time: January 29, 2007, 7:25 pm

Some of my gripes. Add as needed, please!

“Actually, basically” - Cut to the chase and forget about the filler words; these have died sometime ago.

“Undocumented alien” - Illegal immigrant is what is meant, so use it “illegal immigrant.” You don’t have to worry about documentation or UFOs.

“Exactly” - What ever happened to “yes?” Or, if the individual is really stymied, “indeed.”

“Slain” - Often used in the news. “Killed” gets the point across.

“PWN” - I never heard of it. That’s how far “out of touch” I am. There’s another one.

“Gag me with a spoon” - that came out with the Valley Girls.

The next few are from HGTV:

“Serene,” as in “I want a serene bedroom.” Whatever happened to “calm” or “quiet?”

“Spa-like” - That means bland, with a sea sponge thrown in.

This year’s list is disappointing. But, there’s always next year.

Comment from H S
Time: January 30, 2007, 4:13 pm

Undocumented aliens actually HAVE documents–just not their own.

Comment from Gail
Time: February 2, 2007, 2:05 pm

Not only is “gone missing” silly but the latest I heard was “found missing.” Yipes. Also, can we please do away with “need to”? It’s incorrect and has been replacing words like “must,” “have to” and “should.”

Yet one more REALLY WRONG is “myself,” which has now replaced, “me,” and “I.” One hears, “Myself and John were on the road together…” Gail, from Washington Island, WI (and Milwaukee).

Comment from Gail
Time: February 2, 2007, 2:12 pm

HOW BAD IT IS!
FOR A LONG TIME NOW, ONE HEARS, “I FEEL BADLY ABOUT IT.” THAT SURE IS WRONG. ONE DOESN’T “FEEL BADLY,” ONE FEELS “BAD.” HOW ABOUT THAT ON THE LIST FOR NEXT YEAR? GAIL, WASHINGTON ISLAND, WI (AND MILWAUKKE0.

Comment from Bill Fife
Time: February 5, 2007, 11:07 pm

OK. Having read the 2007 list and the posted sample from 2003, I have an observation and an offer to make. First: the current list at this writing contains sxteen “words”, while the 2003 posted at the site opener contains twenty-two “words”. But how many of those are actually words?

Three.

The other nineteen are phrases, opening up a whole set of possibilities if we are to accurize (a candidate-?) the naming of these lists.

To your credit, the current list has eight phrases and eight words, so the trend is at least encouraging. But here’s my point: As I live in a part of the South where unfortunately the progress of civilization has been widely thrown into reverse I am often exposed to just plain meaningless terms, yes, even in writing like: “Foot Pedal”, “Bird Feather”, “Push Button”, “Diving Down” and news phrases like “Armed and Dangerous”, “Brutally Murdered” and so on. Actually I am looking for a category to put all these in. I just haven’t found a word like “oxymoron” that fits this particular group. They aren’t contradictions; they’re just redundancies.

But perhaps my favorite overused/misused term and I mean by everyone is the word “Suspect”. I mean, come on- THINK, people! A “suspect” doesn’t commit a crime. An “assailant” does. If there is legal need to express doubt then by all means do it. Say “Alleged Assailant”. Or “Alleged - ” whatever the crime was reported to have been. But a “Suspect” is a real, live PERSON who has been found, as often caught but who has YET to be proven to have done anything! Don’t say, “the Suspect entered the building with a gun and proceeded to hold up the store clerk!” If he did THAT, then he wasn’t a “Suspect”! Was he? You’re defeating the whole purpose by using the word that way. You’re presuming to be the whole judge and jury when in fact you don’t KNOW whether the “Suspect” you’ve perhaps arrested was in fact the real “Perpetrator”!

I am frankly amazed at how many go along with the mass-hysteria of non-think regarding the very necessary legal constraints governing these terms. They’ve in fact managed to turn it completely around. And in this field that’s serious business. What if YOU were the “Suspect”?

While there may not be a way to retire the word “Suspect”, maybe there is still a way to re-educate the evidently amnesiac public what this word actually does and doesn’t mean.

Comment from Hank
Time: February 7, 2007, 4:17 am

“ON DEMAND” - when used to refer to websites

It used to be that you could click on something on a website and get what you need “INSTANTLY”. Now that cable providers allowing you to get a show “ON DEMAND” through their services… suddenly, people are promoting websties using that same phrase - such as “Come to our website where you can get local weather information ON DEMAND!” Yes, you sure can, but they no one needs to add “on demand” when referring to a website because that’s the nature of the internet. “On demand” when used for cable is more appropriate because I want to watch The Simpsons NOW, instead of Sunday night, so I get my remote and watch the show now.

Comment from Wood
Time: February 7, 2007, 8:22 am

PWN won’t get old in the world of gaming. I love PWNING n00bs. Everyone loves PWNING n00bs. If you don’t PWN them, they’re never going to learn how to play the game. You can add that to my slideshow! I’m in the slideshow .

Comment from Larry Mickel
Time: February 8, 2007, 1:59 am

Oh “April @ 5:19″ on January 1, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE stop perpetuating the incorrectly used phrase “me and my friend” or “me and . . . anyone”. I realize that recently you and your friend waited to see if “such and such was going to happen”, but please use proper English to say this. Say, “Recently, my friend and I waited, etc”, but DO NOT say “me and my friend”, “me and my boyfriend”, “me and my mother”, etc. etc. Don’t you recall your English teacher telling you to ALWAYS name yourself second in a pair of words or last in a list of words, but NEVER first? This misuse of English, now used by TV commentators (sad to say) should be corrected and restored to proper usage. Oh, and April, if you’re not sure which phrase to use, try taking your friend out of the phrase and speaking only about yourself. Would you say, “Last week ‘me’ waited to see if. . . ?” Of course not; you’d say “I waited”. Therefore, apply this same principle to your sentence and say, “My friend and I waited. . . ” PLEASE, let’s not perpetuate this improper English language usage!

Comment from M. Wright
Time: February 8, 2007, 8:29 am

And, let’s not forget “Up and Running”. Therefore, it must be possi ble to be Up and not Running?

Comment from Hank
Time: February 10, 2007, 6:21 pm

IRONIC

Isn’t it ironic that none of the examples in Alanis Morrisette’s song “Ironic” were actually ironic. That’s true irony there. Because of this song, NO ONE ever uses the word right anymore- not that it ever really was… “There was a fire that killed all the residents today. Ironically, all the dogs and cats managed to survive!” Huh? Thanks Alanis! Let us banish the word until people learn to use it right.

Comment from nick
Time: February 11, 2007, 10:19 am

This is utterly stupid. I will never Google for my car keys, and I will never google for my children. What kind of idiot thought this up?

Comment from Herbert M. Gillett
Time: February 12, 2007, 2:18 am

It’s GTMO, not “Gitmo.” Who checks your spelling? A journalism major? Or the head of the department?

Comment from MLH
Time: February 12, 2007, 11:21 am

“Gitmo” is, I think, a long-standing US Navy nickname for Guantanamo Bay.

Comment from karen
Time: February 15, 2007, 3:32 pm

Enough about Gitmo already!

How about banning the word “reality” when used in place of the word “realty”. Or when used to describe a TV genre…whose reality is “Survivor-Fiji”, “Dancing With the Stars”, or (gag) “Armed and Famous”? Maybe it’s unscripted - but it’s definitely not reality.

Comment from Chris
Time: February 17, 2007, 2:12 am

‘Pwned’ is ridiculous I agree, but isn’t ‘owned’ pretty pathetic also?

Comment from Chris
Time: February 17, 2007, 2:24 am

OK, a couple of gripes of mine:

Using ‘decimate’ to mean ‘annihilate’ or ‘destroy’.
For example to ‘decimate an army’ means to literally kill ten percent of it’s soldiers. To ‘completely decimate’ anything is gibberish and to be avoided at all costs!

People saying ‘momentarily’ to mean (incorrectly) ‘in a moment’ or ‘very soon’. This is WRONG.
It means ‘in a moment’ NOT ‘for a moment’.
Grrr!

Comment from Steven Webb
Time: February 17, 2007, 5:03 pm

Re: Now Playing in Theaters.

I work in a video store, and you would not believe how many people come in and ask EVERY SINGLE NIGHT if we have Movie X. Movie X of course, is still in theaters, or hasn’t even made it there yet. Trust me, keeping ‘now in theaters’ makes sense.

Interesting to see that the other commenter on this is also from Shreveport, La. Small world!

Comment from Susan
Time: February 18, 2007, 11:14 pm

UBER - Has become the overkill word of the 2000. Everything has become “uber” something, chic, cool, hot, sexy…. need I say more? We will next be ordering “uber-sized” drinks at our local fast food establishment! I am in total agreement about “my bad”. It just makes want to reach out and touch someone@!

Comment from Rachel
Time: February 23, 2007, 6:43 pm

I don’t know if this has been mentioned, but I’ve grown rather tired of the phrase “____is the new ___.” For example, saying orange is the “new pink”, 40 is the “new 30,” and so on. It’s more like the new cause of my migraines.

Comment from Ashley
Time: March 1, 2007, 1:47 pm

on “We’re Pregnant”…The man may say this in the hope that his ‘work’ (in the bedroom) may be recognized. But in truth, do WE carry this big heavy ball in OUR stomachs, do WE both have emotional mood swings that can tip the Earth, and finally, do WE have to push for nine hours straight as a human pushes it’s head out of OUR vagina? I don’t think so.

Comment from Cyril
Time: March 1, 2007, 5:44 pm

I would tend to be less harsh towards “undocumented alien”. It is not just some politically correct euphemism. The alternative “illegal alien” is just overly nasty. “Illegal” as an adjective should qualify an act, not a person. While one can commit illegal acts, the expression “illegal alien” suggests that one can BE illegal, which sounds weird, to say the least. I would say “undocumented alien” is just the more correct, more neutral form.

Comment from Telk
Time: March 5, 2007, 5:37 pm

Chipotle: Aside from the already corrected definition, ease up a little out there - it is just an ingredient! Would you quibble about ‘chile’ marinated meat, ‘chile’ peppers, sprinkled with a ‘chile’ seasoning and smothered in a ‘chile’ sauce? Why allow the generic, and ban the specific? Of course the seasoning is over/misused, but then so is pesto. Shall we ban that too?

Comment from louis ortega
Time: January 1, 2008, 8:30 am

the word -”sweet” was really killing me. I could feel the visceral recoil everytime I heard it -Sweet!! ..over and over. Thanks to your site I am vindicated. I have printed a copy of this article and posted it on the side of the fridge for my kids to read. Thanks LSSU!

Comment from دردشة
Time: May 14, 2008, 10:15 am

As a corollary to UNDOCUMENTED ALIEN we should ban ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, a nonsense term commonly seen/heard in the media
thanks

Comment from nuri
Time: June 5, 2008, 4:04 pm

And, let’s not forget “Up and Running”. Therefore, it must be possi ble to be Up and not Running?

Comment from JEM
Time: July 22, 2008, 1:00 pm

A sentence of all of LSSU’s 1/‘8 Kiboshed Words:
Back in the day, post 9/11, on Black Friday, after the webinar on wordsmithing featuring ‘pop is the new sweet’, the author and I found the perfect storm and went waterboarding under the bus where we found a random surge that did not decimate us, but it did give back an emotional and organic kibosh - it is what it is.

Comment from term paper examples
Time: July 31, 2008, 9:58 pm

I would greatly support banishing Nuk-U-Lar

Comment from Panz
Time: September 5, 2008, 12:05 pm

What a bunch of obnoxious, amateur prescriptive grammarians! Now, granted, bitching about the current state of language (i.e., casual speech as it has evolved over the years since you learned it as a child) is a time-honored pastime, but I suggest you pick up an introductory text on linguistics and try to comprehend the mechanics of language change. Slang is like, totally awesome. It’s living language, and none of you cantankerous know-it-alls will ever succeed in suppressing it - only demonstrating your intolerance for linguistic diversity and colloquialism! Take that to your “cinema” and smoke it while you watch your “films” you antiquated mofos!

Comment from pocono resorts Steve
Time: September 6, 2008, 9:42 am

I don’t like Undocumented Alien. It stands in contrast to Resident Alien, which is a person legally residing in the US whose citizenship still lies elsewhere. Resident Alien is the official classification for holders of “Green Cards”.

Comment from greenerman
Time: September 7, 2008, 5:01 pm

Yikes! You’ve decimated my vocabulary. This is all new to me. But now more than ever I will flat-out try to change…and I mean 24-7 in this new millenium. Having said that, you people are awesome. Have a good one!

Comment from Tegan
Time: October 21, 2008, 12:20 pm

i’m very familiar with flying and airports and i refer to them as the 3 letter airport code. here in florida every day on the news or weather i hear OIA OIA OIA OIA. IT’S NOT OIA. it’s MCO. for McCoy airfield, formerly mccoy airforce base. i’m not even from florida and i know that. it’s just as eas to call it the correct code as opposed to the incorrect one. idiots.

Comment from evden eve nakliyat
Time: November 3, 2008, 3:34 am

I don’t like Undocumented Alien. It stands in contrast to Resident Alien, which is a person legally residing in the US whose citizenship still lies elsewhere. Resident Alien is the official classification for holders of “Green Cards”.

Comment from evden eve nakliyat
Time: November 3, 2008, 3:41 am

As a corollary to UNDOCUMENTED ALIEN we should ban ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, a nonsense term commonly seen/heard in the media
thanks …

Comment from Zoe Hellar
Time: December 8, 2008, 3:25 am

In my work place we use a lot of TLA’s - Three lettered acronyms

Comment from Leslie
Time: December 29, 2008, 9:40 am

I was in the Navy in the early 1980’s. GITMO was the term used for the training base in Guantanamo Bay.

Comment from Ron Whiteside
Time: December 30, 2008, 3:36 pm

I can’t stand to hear the word “horrific”.

Comment from Article Directory
Time: January 6, 2009, 4:56 am

“Sweet” needs to be abolished except when commenting about tea or a little one.