The Rittenhouse Review

A Philadelphia Journal of Politics, Finance, Ethics, and Culture


Sunday, January 02, 2005  

BANISHED WORDS
Phrases Beyond the Pale

Lake Superior State University yesterday released its 30th annual “List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-Use, Over-Use, and General Uselessness,” a catalog of slang terms and jargon assembled from more than 2,000 submissions that come from around the world.

The 2005 List of Banished Words includes, among others:

Carbs: along with “low carbs, high carbs, no carbs, carb-friendly,” but, strangely, not “carbies.”

Webinar: for “seminar on the web,” as noted here in the comments section of the linked post in the item above by blogger Vaara.

Zero Percent APR Financing: This one has bothered me for a long time. How does a bank finance something when no interest is applied?

Body Wash: “Also known as ‘soap.’”

All New: When used in reference to television programs. “Of course it’s all new. Why can’t they just say ‘new’? There are no partially-new episodes, no repeat of last Tuesday’s episode with a slightly reworked Act 2.”

Also included on the list is blog, along with it variations, blogger, blogged, blogging, and blogosphere. “Sounds like something your mother would slap you for saying.” I second that emotion; I’m all for a new term.

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