Diversions January 6, 2011

LLSU Publishes Banished Word List

It’s a list of epic fails that “the American People” might well “Google” or “Facebook” with their BFFs–or perhaps “refudiate” the “back story” with “mama grizzlies” who won’t “man up”–if they don’t first have an “a-ha moment.”
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With that, you have a good sense for the composition of Lake Superior State University’s 36th annual List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness.

Words and phrases related to technology and the way we communicate dominated the list for 2011, including “viral,” “epic,” “fail,” and the use of websites “Facebook” and “Google” as verbs. “Viral” received the most nominations.

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The “back story” on LSSU’s popular list began on January 1, 1976, when former LSSU Public Relations Director Bill Rabe and a group of friends each contributed a few expressions that they disliked to form the first list. After that, the nominations stacked up for future lists and Rabe’s group, known then as The Unicorn Hunters, didn’t have to make up its own list again.

The 2011 list is:

  • viral
  • epic
  • fail
  • wow factor
  • a-ha moment
  • back story
  • BFF
  • man up
  • refudiate
  • mama grizzlies
  • the American people
  • I’m just sayin’
  • Facebook/Google as verbs
  • live life to the fullest

LSSU receives well over 1,000 nominations annually through its website, lssu.edu/banished.

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