Saturday, January 01, 2005

Keep Your Mitts Off penumbra!

Lake Superior State University has released its list of banished words for the new year. Evidently this has been going on since 1976 and I am only now aware of the list. I once again loose points for edgy-ness.

I concur with most of the list, all the 2004 election terminology make my teeth hurt and if I am using izzle speak, we can declare the fad uber over (I hate hate hate uber since a teenager quit Youth and Government, left her attorney partner hanging, and offered an excuse of being "uber stressed". Cry me a river, kid.).

But blog?? Blog??? How is the word blog to be banished?? On what sort of Superior Lake do you float, sir? I vote that nouns cannot be banished--otherwise we will be forced to call our treasured online journals what?? Turkey platters?

My additions to the list include:
  • "Yeah" when used as the end of an unfinished sentence. The speaker looks all vacuous, eyes roll back in head...
  • "Know what I'm saying?" Might this have made the list years ago? Please trust that if you have to ask, I probably do not know what you're saying.
  • "Up in here" This gem has made my list annually since the late 90's. Don't get crazy with your prepositions.
  • Amazing I am humiliated to have used this word in last night's New Year's toast. It has been completely devalued and my goal this year is to find at least 3 substitutes.

Please share your additions. We shall write them on paper, fold them into tiny boats, and float them on Lake Superior.


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

BethW.

"Well I tell you what" - not just a Southern saying because Lee Corso and other sports announcers say it. I even have my husband parroting the phrase every time he hears it.

Anonymous said...

This is an oldie too. I could never stand the word "sweet" as used in the 1980s & early 1990s to describe something "amazing." Perhaps still used by some very uncool people. On second thought, maybe it is so uncool now we could start using it to describe the many uncool people we know!
N.K.

Anonymous said...

Instead of amazing, may I suggest the (British) "brilliant"? Great word, can be used on everal occasions. As an American, I have to start using it more.