海角社区

One Month Remains to Submit Words and Terms to Banish for 2022 to 海角社区

Oct 29, 2021

Last year, people across the U.S. and around the world wearied of hearing and reading about COVID-19. What words and terms rate bad or excessive this year? One month remains to submit entries for 海角社区鈥檚 annual tongue-in-cheek Banished Words List.

The deadline to submit entries for consideration for banishment for 2022 is 8 AM Eastern Standard Time on Nov. 30, 2021, at lssu.edu/banishedwords.

LSSU will announce results on Dec. 31, 2021, to start the New Year on the right foot, er, tongue.

Lake State has compiled its yearly mock-serious Banished Words List since 1976 to uphold, protect, and support excellence in language by encouraging avoidance of words and terms that are hackneyed, redundant, oxymoronic, clich茅d, illogical, nonsensical鈥攁nd otherwise ineffective, baffling, or irritating.

COVID-19 terminology monopolized submissions last year. Out of 1,450-plus nominations, upwards of 250 of the words and terms suggested for banishment for overuse, misuse, or uselessness pertained to the coronavirus pandemic. Seven of the 10 words and terms that LSSU banished for 2021 were about it. Ranked No. 1 to get rid of was what started the global crisis: 鈥淐OVID-19鈥� itself. Others included 鈥渟ocial distancing,鈥� 鈥渋n an abundance of caution,鈥� and 鈥淲e鈥檙e all in this together.鈥�

Over the decades, LSSU has received tens of thousands of nominations for the list, which now totals more than 1,000 entries. Examples of the winners (or should that be losers?) to make the yearly compilation: 鈥渄etente,鈥� 鈥渟urely,鈥� 鈥渃lassic,鈥� and 鈥渂romance,鈥� plus 鈥渨rap my head around,鈥� 鈥渦ser friendly,鈥� 鈥渁t this point in time,鈥� and 鈥渧iable alternative.鈥� The Banished Words List has become such a cultural phenomenon that comedian George Carlin submitted an entry that made the annals in 1994: 鈥渂addaboom, baddabing.鈥�

鈥淵ou鈥檇 better believe that every year we look forward to what sets off grammarians, philosophers, pundits, lovers of language, and haters of miscommunication in the public interest, if you will,鈥� said LSSU President Dr. Rodney S. Hanley. 鈥淏y the way, 鈥榊ou鈥檇 better believe鈥� made the list in 1978, 鈥榠n the public interest鈥� in 1980, and 鈥榠f you will鈥� in both 1984 and 1991, to be 鈥榩erfectly candid鈥欌�攃hosen in 1977. 鈥楽o,鈥� a dual entry from 1999 and 2016, I鈥檇 better stop talking.鈥�