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Question for the week
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Posted: 01/01/06 As the first day of the New Year waned, I read the local Sunday newspaper and found a most interesting article about words that should be banned in 2006. No, they’re not the four-letter sort, although they’re just as uncreative. Rather, they are words that were used to the point of mis-use, over-use, and abuse. Evidently, Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, has been compiling such a list since 1976; so for those of you who are not familiar with my local newspaper and might have missed this article, I am printing the list of words the school says we should shun. In no particular order, Lake Superior State University seeks to banish: surreal, hunker down, person of interest, community of learners, up-or-down vote, breaking news, designer breed, FEMA, first-time caller, pass the savings on to you, 97 percent fat-free, an accident that didn’t have to happen, junk science, git-r-done, talking points, and holiday tree. I love the school’s rationale for eliminating FEMA. “IF they don’t do anything, we don’t need their acronym,” wrote a member of the word banning committee. (Never mind that he used a plural pronoun for a singular noun, something that is becoming more and more commonplace.) I also loved another committee member’s comments about “first-time caller,” a phrase frequently heard on call-in talk radio. Miguel McCormick asked, “Who in any universe gives a care?” Note that he said “any universe,” not just ours. The article also mentioned banned words from earlier years. They included “metrosexual” in 2004, “chad” in 2001, baby boomer” in 1989, and – going way back – “détente” in 1976. Maybe next year’s list will include “IM me,” “Let’s TIVO the game,” and “No interest, no payments until 2007.”
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