RonJonSurfer Posted December 31, 2009 Report Share Posted December 31, 2009 Tweets, sexting "unfriended" in U.S. banned word list KANSAS CITY (Reuters) – If you recently tweeted about how you were chillaxin for the holiday, take note: Fifteen particularly over- or mis-used words and phrases have been declared "shovel-ready" to be "unfriended" by a U.S. university's annual list of terms that deserve to be banned. After thousands of nominations of words and phrases commonly used in marketing, media, technology and elsewhere, wordsmiths at Lake Superior State University on Thursday issued their 35th annual list of words that they believe should be banned. Tops on the Michigan university's list of useless phrases was "shovel-ready." The term refers to infrastructure projects that are ready to break ground and was popularly used to describe road, bridge and other construction projects fueled by stimulus funds from the Obama administration. And speaking of stimulus, that word -- which was applied to government spending aimed at boosting the economy -- made the over-used category as well, along with an odd assortment of Obama-related constructions such as Obamacare and Obamanomics. "We say Obamanough already," the LSSU committee said. Also ripe for exile is "sexting," shorthand for sexy text messaging, a habit that has caused trouble this year for public figures from politicians to star athletes. Similarly, list makers showed distaste for tweeting, retweeting and tweetaholics, lingo made popular by users of the popular Twitter networking website. And don't even get them started on the use of friend as a verb, as in: "He made me mad so I unfriended him on Facebook," an Internet social site. Male acquaintances need to find another word than "bromance" for their friendships, and the combination of "chillin" and "relaxin'" into "chillaxin" was an easy pick for banishment. VOTED OUT Also making the list was "teachable moment." "This phrase is used to describe everything from potty-training to politics. It's time to vote it out!" said one list contributor. "Toxic assets," referring to financial instruments that have plunged in value, sickened list makers so much the phrase was added to the list, along with the tiresome and poorly defined "too big to fail" which has often been invoked to describe wobbly U.S. banks. Similarly, "in these economic times" was deemed overdue for banishment due. Also making the list -- "transparent/transparency," typically used, contributors said, when the situation is anything but transparent. One list contributor wanted to know if there was an "app," short-hand for "application" popularized by the mobile iPhone's growing array of software tools, for making that annoying word go away. And rounding out the list -- "czar" as in car czar, drug czar, housing czar or banished word czar. "Purging our language of 'toxic assets' is a 'stimulus' effort that's 'too big to fail,'" said Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindCrime Posted January 1, 2010 Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 I'm not taking their actions very seriously. I think they are just nit-picking or should I say "net-picking". Another phrase they might want to ban. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levis Posted January 1, 2010 Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 are 'cyberspace' and 'blogosphere' punishable by life-imprisonment yet because they really should be. Also 'surfing the web' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heimann47 Posted January 1, 2010 Report Share Posted January 1, 2010 where have i been during the time 'czar' was overused? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Seeker Posted January 2, 2010 Report Share Posted January 2, 2010 Probably under the same rock as me, because I can count the number of times I heard that word all year on one hand... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcM Posted January 3, 2010 Report Share Posted January 3, 2010 The term "chillaxin" makes me vurp just a little bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 Basically, we should get rid of the word "basically." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 That's Whack. Oh wait, I hate that expression. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blind-fitter Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 You know when somebody is explaining something, whether opinion or fact, which he /she considers to be so straightforward as to be a "no-brainer"? I hate that. But I hate it more when he/she concludes his/her dogmatic statement with the profoundly irritating not-quite-a phrase, "Simple as." As if "Simple as" weren't bad enough, it is now the done thing in moronic circles to shorten the statement further to "Simples". Makes my blood boil, it really does. And no it wouldn't improve matters a jot if the tuncs would even apostrophise it correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 what's a tunc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miamisammy29 Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 (edited) what's a tunc? I think it's an anagram. Anyway....I'm gonna f***in' kill the next person that calls me a "homey"! Edited January 5, 2010 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna Posted January 6, 2010 Report Share Posted January 6, 2010 the one I really can't stand is "baby girl." I mean, when girls use that for their friends, or worse, when adults use it in reference to teenagers. bleccchhh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuzikTyme Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 I can handle being called, "homey" and "baby-girl." It's the God-awful sway of the arm-over-head followed by a snap of the finger that ruins it for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batman Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 If my research is correct, the last person to actually do that was Pepa of Salt n Pepa, and she did it in 1993. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earth-Angel Posted January 19, 2010 Report Share Posted January 19, 2010 I can't handle "wifey" being used in any way (especially not between teenage girls). But I totally love simples (Sorry b-f). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindCrime Posted January 19, 2010 Report Share Posted January 19, 2010 I can't handle "wifey" being used in any way (especially not between teenage girls). I don't care much for hubby either, that sounds like the type of name you use on an obese man, unless that is the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel2Velvet Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 I seem to have always had a problem with the phrase, "I'm like ... " in place of "I said, ..." Don't know why that raises my neck hairs, but it does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindCrime Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 "He's like: my neckhairs raise when you say that." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel2Velvet Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 (neck hairs quickly raise ...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heimann47 Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 ending a sentence in 'yet' in place of 'still' doesn't sound right for some reason, though it's correct 'I have your pants in my car yet.' don't ask where that sentence came from, because frankly, I'm not sure myself... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuzikTyme Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 "He's like: my neckhairs raise when you say that." (neck hairs quickly raise ...) Damn! I just shaved my neck hairs. Does a shiver up/down the spine count? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Seeker Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 ending a sentence in 'yet' in place of 'still' doesn't sound right for some reason, though it's correct 'I have your pants in my car yet.' don't ask where that sentence came from, because frankly, I'm not sure myself... I always thought 'still' referred more the past/present, and 'yet' to the future (as in 'Sexy Sadie, you'll get yours yet' ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heimann47 Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 maybe I'm wrong then... I kinda thought they were interchangeable... there's Marine Corps grammar for ya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Seeker Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 I could be wrong, I've got nothing to back up my claims with, just personal experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miamisammy29 Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 ending a sentence in 'yet' in place of 'still' doesn't sound right for some reason, though it's correct 'I have your pants in my car yet.' Actually, they're both wrong, Newbie! Although (for our purposes here), both "yet" and "still" are adverbs and can be used interchangeably, the correct way to write such a sentence would be... I STILL have your pants in my car. (I know this, because I've used this exact same sentence many times in the past, usually ending it with a resounding..."b*tch!") And, on a more profitable note... I believe you still owe some Newbie Dues. So, don't be late, or Milt will come for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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