Stricken from the language
This morning's Rachel Maddow show on Air America, guest hosted by Mark Riley, raised an interesting question: "What are some of the most annoying phrases of the year 2005, phrases that you think should be banned from the English lexicon, what would they be?"
Among the suggestions from the show's staff are Fitzmas and "anything having to do with 'Happy Holidays' or "'Merry Christmas' - just get rid of all of it and have some new way to talk about the holidays, that whole war on xmas thing invented by the right wing."
As Riley points, out, Lake Superior State University in Michigan makes a list every year of "List of Words and Phrases Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness." Among this year's list, the 31st annual list from the school, are:
- Breaking news
- Talking points
- Hunker down
- A person of interest
- Community of learners
- Up-or-down vote
- FEMA -- "if they don't do anything, we don't need their acronym"
- First-time caller
- Junk Science
The phrases I'd add to this list, were I to be suddenly crowned King of All Language, would include, just to scratch the surface:
- Freedom is on the march
- Plamegate
- Heckuva job
- Slam-dunk
I'm sure there are many, many more of these, so readers: what would you add to (or, more to the point, ban from) the conversation?
