Guest Editorial
Now that a new year has started, it is time for yet another “shared sacrifice” — getting rid of some overused expressions.
The good folks at Lake Superior State University last month compiled their annual end-of-year list of banned words.
And sorry, Gov. Rick Snyder, but they say you can’t talk about shared sacrifices any more. Find something new and less cliched to express your policies.
No more “occupy”-ing, too. No more “winning the future.” Don’t brag about your “man cave.”
These annual lists offer some real insight into our times, but with a smile. The expressions we use don’t merely communicate, but reflect our thoughts and views on the world.
The banned words list, too, reveals the way in which language evolves — and not always for the better. Do we really need the word “ginormous?” Aren’t “enormous,” “ huge” or just “big” good enough?
Curiously, the list included “amazing,” not because of a singular cultural moment, just because the word is overused. People from across the country and even the world suggested the word be banned. That’s, well, amazing!
You could say it’s the new normal. Well, not in those words. “New normal” is banned.
— THE JACKSON CITIZEN PATRIOT