Legal Writing

Banished Words of 2009

By Maeve

Every January Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie publishes a list of 15 Words to Be Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness.

This year’s losers (and some reasons given for banishing them):

1 Green
2 Carbon Footprint
3 Maverick

4 First Dude - “Skateboard English is not an appropriate way to refer to the spouse of a high-ranking public official.”

5 Bailout - “Use of emergency funds to remove toxic assets from banks’ balance sheets is not a bailout. When your cousin calls you from jail in the middle of the night, he wants a bailout.”

6 Wall Street/Main Street
7 -monkey (all-purpose internet suffix)
8 Icon/iconic
9 Game changer
10 Staycation (stay-at-home-vacation)
11 Desperate Search
12 Not so much
13 Winner of Five Nominations

14 It’s that time of year again - “When is it not ‘that time of year again?”

Any English speaker is eligible to nominate a word and give a reason for its banishment.

Check out the LSSU site:
Origins of the contest
2009 List and reasons for banishment
Submit your choice for 2010 List

Banished Words of 2009

Full post as published by Daily Writing Tips on January 04, 2009 (boomark / email).