Ban that Word!

[AuntShecky]

Clicking the link below will take you to Lake Superior State University's List
of Banished Words for 2012:

http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php

What I want to know is:

Which selections do you agree/disagee with?

And, perhaps more importantly, are there any words or phrases you would
like to include?

[MANICHAEAN]

Aunty
The UK equivalent of "amazing" is "awesome," which I would have no hesitation in banning.
I must confess to being a bit of a snob, when it comes to swearing. Short stories are submitted on this forum full of ***** and although there are occasions when they are relevant to the character, there seems to be a general lack of imagination and creativity in swear words or insults of a more basic nature. Italian, French & especially the Arabic languages are so much more top drawer.
Happy New Year.
M.

[BienvenuJDC]

There's a few of those words that I think are too trendy. But the one that I didn't see that I think should be done away with forever is ...retard. While the word retarded can be appropriately to mean 'slowed' as in developmentally or in any other capacity, the word 'retard' has only been used in a derogatory manner. Now, to say, "That's retarded!" meaning that something is 'stupid' is a total misunderstanding of what retarded means. To be retarded means to be slowed. There are many wonderful retarded individuals out there, and they should never be considered to a derogatory manner.

[Charles Darnay]

I agree with Bien on doing away with "retarded", as well as the casual tossing of "gay" to mean stupid or uncool (usually used among middle/high school students, and fortunately dying down).

Another word I would like to see done away with is the use of "literally" - because "literally no one who uses the word literally to emphasize their point is using the word correctly." - see?

[Calidore]

Another word I would like to see done away with is the use of "literally" - because "literally no one who uses the word literally to emphasize their point is using the word correctly." - see?

I have to disagree with tossing a word because people don't use it right. It's the people's fault, not the word's.

[smerdyakov]

Ah, there are some downright aberrations here... :puke:
I would be strongly in favor of banning all the portmanteau words: "Ginormous"..."Blowback" etc.

I haven't heard someone use blowback yet, thankfully. I thought that word meant something you do with a joint, no? Maybe I'm wrong.

A few expressions that get on my wick are: politicians using the word "firewall" (robbing an IT word - probably thinking they are sounding smart and very a la mode at the same time - they are not...) , "futureproof", "going forward", "in a situation whereby", "no silver bullet", "no magic bullet", "we're all in this together", "there's no money left"...the vacuousness goes on and on...

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Baby bump and ginormous are the only ones I really find annoying. Ginormous is pretty retarded and baby bump is kinda gay. They're literally stupid words.

[Paulclem]

I really lke the democratic nature of the language which means that individuals can rage and rant about words, but that won't affect how they're used. These words and phrases were originally creative - even if they're not to your taste - and innovate on the language. Words are used because someone finds them useful - even if they lost their usefulness to us and we refer to their use as lazy. It doesn't matter though. There'll be a bunch of new ones along the way soon.

The words themselves I don't find objectionable, but the context of their use might be.

[Calidore]

Baby bump and ginormous are the only ones I really find annoying. Ginormous is pretty retarded and baby bump is kinda gay. They're literally stupid words.

Awesome ******* post.

[Shalot]

Ah, there are some downright aberrations here... :puke:
I would be strongly in favor of banning all the portmanteau words: "Ginormous"..."Blowback" etc.

I haven't heard someone use blowback yet, thankfully. I thought that word meant something you do with a joint, no? Maybe I'm wrong.

A few expressions that get on my wick are: politicians using the word "firewall" (robbing an IT word - probably thinking they are sounding smart and very a la mode at the same time - they are not...) , "futureproof", "going forward", "in a situation whereby", "no silver bullet", "no magic bullet", "we're all in this together", "there's no money left"...the vacuousness goes on and on...

A la mode is funny to me and maybe that is because in this region, when someone says "a la mode" he/she is talking about a dessert with ice cream. And even in that context, "a la mode" is way over the top. If you want it

[qimissung]

I dislike baby bump. I don't know why. I don't like ginormous, although it does make me think fondly of my favorite elf.

I'm tired of the word cougar.

On the other hand, for some odd reason, I use awesome more nowadays than I did when it was in. Amazing.

[Calidore]

I still call cool things "awesome," and awesome things "cool."