FISCAL CLIFF
As one might expect, this phrase received the most nominations this year. If Congress acts to keep the country from tumbling over the cliff, LSSU believes this banishment should get some of the credit.
"(We’ve) lost sight of the metaphor and started to think it's a real place, like with the headline, 'Obama, Boehner meeting on fiscal cliff'." Barry Cochran, Portland, Ore.
KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD
"I'm surprised it wasn't on your 2012 list -- were you just kicking the, um, phrase down the road to 2013?" ~T. Jones, Ann Arbor, Mich.
"I thought that perhaps you weren't ready to deal with it. You just kicked that can down the road." Rebecca Martz, Houston, Tex.
DOUBLE DOWN
"Over-used within the last year or so in politics." ~John Gates, Cumberland, Maine
JOB CREATORS/CREATION
"It implies supernatural powers -- such as the ability to change the weather or levitate. Most new jobs pay less than the lost jobs to ensure stratospheric CEO compensation and nice returns on investments. I respectfully propose a replacement term that is more accurate -- job depleters." ~Mark Dobias, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
PASSION/PASSIONATE
"Diabetes is not just Big Pharma's business, it's their passion! This or that actor is passionate! about some issue somewhere. A DC lobbyist is passionate! about passing (or blocking) some proposed law. My passion! is simple: Banish this phony-baloney word." ~George Alexander, Studio City, Calif.
YOLO
"Stands for 'You Only Live Once' and used by wannabe Twitter philosophers who think they've uncovered a deep secret of life. Also used as an excuse to do really stupid things, such as streaking at a baseball game with YOLO printed on one's chest. I only live once, so I'd prefer to be able to do it without ever seeing YOLO again." ~Brendan Cotter, Grosse Pte. Park, Mich.
"Used by teens everywhere to describe an action that is risky or unconventional, yet acceptable because 'you only live once.' Who lives more than once?" ~P.P., Los Angeles, Calif.
SPOILER ALERT
"Used as an obnoxious way to show one has trivial information and is about to use it, no matter what." ~Joseph Joly, Fremont, Calif.
BUCKET LIST
"The expression makes me cringe every time I hear it -- and we've been hearing it for several years. I'm surprised it isn't already in your master list. Let's emphasize life and what we do during it. It's such a grim way of looking at 'what I want to do,' and often it is in selfish terms." ~Shea Hoffmitz, Hamilton, Ont.
TRENDING
"A trend is something temporary, thank goodness; however, it is not a verb, and I'm tired of news stations telling me what trite 'news' is 'trending.'" ~Kyle Melton, White Lake, Mich.
BONELESS WINGS
"Can we just call them chicken (pieces)?" ~John McNamara, Lansing, Mich.
GURU
"Unless you're teaching transcendental meditation, Hinduism or Buddhism, please don't call yourself a guru just because you think you're an expert at something. It's silly and pretentious. Let other people call you that, if they must." ~Mitch Devine, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.
LSSU accepts nominations for the banished-words list throughout the year. To submit your nomination for the 2014 list, go to http://www.lssu.edu/banished/submit_word.php. Check out the compiled list to make sure your nomination hasn't already been banished!
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Lake Superior State University is Michigan's smallest public university with an enrollment of 3,000 students. It is known for its academic programs such as fisheries and wildlife management, engineering, nursing, criminal justice, fire science and business management. For admissions information, go to LSSU's admissions web site, www.lssu.edu/admissions.
LSSU accepts nominations for the banished-words list throughout the year. To submit your nomination for the 2014 list, go to http://www.lssu.edu/banished/submit_word.php. Check out the compiled list to make sure your nomination hasn't already been banished!
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