1. AMAZING
Received the most nominations. LSSU was surprised at the number of nominations this year for “amazing” and surprised to find that it hadn’t been included on the list in the past. Many nominators mentioned over-use on television when they sent their entries, mentioning “reality” TV, Martha Stewart and Anderson Cooper. It seemed to bother people everywhere, as nominations were sent from around the US and Canada and some from overseas, including Israel, England and Scotland. A Facebook page – “Overuse of the Word Amazing” – threatened to change its title to “Occupy LSSU” if ‘amazing’ escaped banishment this year…
2. BABY BUMP
Although nominated by many over the years, this phrase came in as a close second to “amazing” this year.
3. SHARED SACRIFICE
“Usually used by a politician who wants other people to share in the sacrifice so he/she doesn’t have to.” Scott Urbanowski, Kentwood, Michigan
4. OCCUPY
“‘Occupy Wall Street’ grew to become Occupy ‘insert name of your city here’ all over the country. It should be banished because of the media overuse and now people use it all the time, i.e. ‘I guess we will occupy your office and have the meeting there.’ ‘We are headed to Grandma’s house – Occupy Thanksgiving is under way.” Bill Drewes, Rochester Hills, Michigan
5. BLOWBACK
Sometimes exchanged with “pushback” to mean resistance.
6. MAN CAVE
“Overused by television home design and home buying shows, has trickled down to sitcoms, commercials, and now has to be endured during interactions with real estate people, neighbors and co-workers. Jim, Flagstaff, Arizona
7. THE NEW NORMAL
“The phrase is often used to justify bad trends in society and to convince people that they are powerless to slow or to reverse those trends. This serves to reduce participation in the political process and to foster cynicism about the ability of government to improve people’s lives. Sometimes the phrase is applied to the erosion of civil liberties. More often, it is used to describe the sorry state of the U.S. economy. Often hosts on TV news channels use the phrase shortly before introducing some self-help guru who gives glib advice to the unemployed and other people having financial difficulties. Robert Brown, Raleigh, North Carolina
8. PET PARENT
“Can a human being truly be a parent to a different species? Do pet ‘owners’ not love their pets as much pet ‘parents’ do? Are we equating pet ownership with slave holding? This cloyingly correct term is capable of raising my blood sugar. Lynn Ouellette, Buffalo, New York
9. WIN THE FUTURE
A political phrase worn wherever you look – to the left (President Obama) or the right (Newt Gingrich).
10. TRICKERATION
“Why? Why? Why? This one seems to be the flavor du jour for football analysts. What’s wrong with ‘trick’ or ‘trickery?’ No doubt, next year’s model will be ‘trickerationism.’” Gene Bering, Seminole, Texas
11. GINORMOUS
“No need to make a gigantic (idiot) out of yourself trying to find an enormous word for ‘big.’” Coulombe, Sanford, Florida
12. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE
“Usually followed by ‘for your cooperation,’ this is a condescending and challenging way to say, ‘Since I already thanked you, you have to do this.’” Mike Cloran, Cincinnati, Ohio
Full post: http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php