Banned Words 2012

Lake Superior State Univeristy has published its list of Banned Words for 2012, created by popular vote.   Have a look.

Pretty weak, isn’t it? I don’t even know what Trickeraton or Man Cave means (and please don’t tell me.)   Let’s face it, this list is just bullshit. We’ll  make  our own, like we did last year. I’ll start:

Push back
The American People
Twitterati
Repurposed
Luxe
Counter-intuitive
Snooky
Lady-parts
Skinnies
Cult Status
Slut-shaming
Mitt
Newt
Going Viral
Sourced
Narrative
Facebook

I don’t want to see or hear these words any more. They’re dead to me.

Your turn!

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88 Responses to Banned Words 2012

  1. Joan says:

    Heartfelt agreement with so many of these (especially “curate”– nails on a chalkboard). Also, “bespoke” and “luxury”

    Oh, and “on point”.

  2. Sister Wolf says:

    Diana – oh god, “wow…just wow” is excruciating.

  3. Sister Wolf says:

    Mr San Pedro – And I like the way you just upped yours!

  4. Sister Wolf says:

    annemarie – Hahahahahahahahahahahhahaha!

  5. Dolly says:

    I personally am sick of the phrase getting “on it”. Now I enjoy alcohol as much as the next 20 year old but I prefer to stick to the classics such as getting hammered or simply just drunk. I have no idea what the fuck I’m even supposed to be getting on? Alcohol? The Moron Train? What?

  6. candy says:

    “believe it or not i’m working on it” that’s what comes to mind when I read the banned words. I don’t use any of those but I do hear gifted, thrifted, wow oh wow, and douchebag. Idon’t like most ofthe ones you listed Sister Wolf.

  7. Andra says:

    I just read about a home for sale in Los Angelese which is described as “extremely private and emotional.”
    I have no idea what that means.

  8. candy says:

    Andra, I can’t stop laughing…next thing you know the walls start crying.

  9. Sister Wolf says:

    Andra – WOW, I LOVE that. Since I’m in LA, maybe I can call and inquire as to its emotionality?

  10. Kara says:

    Yes! Down with counter-intuitive!! When I was in grad school, that stupid word was used at least six times an hour, and it made me crazy. These days, I occasionally, find myself in a situation where the word would be actually useful, but I still refuse to use it.

    On the other hand, I think “lady parts” is funny. But I own jeggings, so don’t listen to me.

  11. Juli says:

    I hate when people refer to pregnant bellies as “baby bumps” or “bump alert.” Bump? It’s not a fucking bump. I want to kill someone when I see that.

  12. mimi says:

    ‘work it giiiiiiirl’ (think toddlers and tiaras-esque stage mothers) is even worse than ‘you go girl!’

    ‘lippie’ will never bother me as it is common aussie slang.

    adding a new one – ‘haul’, as in being on a fashion blog and they write ‘i went shopping, check out my haul’ … ick.

  13. sulky kitten says:

    Chillax……I will, after I’ve punched you.

    Cool……..I’ve been grinding my teeth on this one for a long time

    Pinterest……….I HATE this , and it’s everywhere.

  14. Andrea says:

    THE husband, THE boyfriend etc. Please just say MY.

  15. Sam says:

    Recently heard an interview with the director of a local theatre company – we all get what that is right? But no, hers was a Theatre ‘Laboratory’.

    I yelled out loud at the radio.

    I was on my own.

    I Love it when I do that.

  16. tina says:

    I agree with Juli–baby bump makes me batshit.
    the “new normal”
    awesomesauce
    The haves and the soon to haves (STFU Mitt or whichever rich fuckass said that).

    I heard that Beyonce and Jay Z are going to trademark Blue Ivy’s name so that is also one I look forward to despising.

  17. Bonnie says:

    This is a great list. Can we also lose rock? As in ” I will rock a pair of red jeans this spring”. I have lots of clothes that I wear. At the end of the day I change into sweats. I don’t rock those either. This one makes me wanna slap someone.

  18. Dru says:

    Slut-shaming

    Sister, are you reading my mind? I would dearly love for the phrase “____[fill-in-the-blank]____ – shaming” to go the way of names like Dorcas and those funny old Puritan names – i.e. embarrassing stuff that belongs in the distant, DISTANT past.

    It’s lazy shorthand and a travesty of the English language, and should never be seen outside of Jezebel/idiot teenage social justice warriors’ tumblrs.

  19. Dru says:

    I also second the Vote of Death to “authentic”, “rock”, “awesomesauce” and “totes”. They are barely tolerable when confined to the idiot writers and commenters on a blog I mentioned in my last comment, and absolutely infuriating in the general lexicon.

    And I will add “amirite?” (I wish people would spell properly when they are trying to be patronising) and “asshat” (most pathetic attempt at an insult ever) to the list.

  20. Patricia says:

    “red” as in “I got a classy bottle of red” Jeez.

  21. honeypants says:

    69 comments before this (including one of my own) and no one has yet mentioned adding “-gasm” to anything! As in “shoegasm” AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!

    Also, my friend who says va-geen apparently also recently just heard about amazeballs, and she uses that all the time too. Same with awesomesauce. So stupid!

    St. thank you for bringing up swag/ger. Makes me want to punch people.

    We’ve been needing to lose ‘rock’ for eons – and THANK YOU SW for bringing up ‘artisan’!!! I know that’s usually my go-to complaint (oh god, go-to is horrible too!)

    So many good ones on this list -oh oh, I mean “What an amazing list we have curated!” hahaha!!!

    VOM! I hate VOM too! How about ralph? Can we bring that back? Or hurl? Speaking of which, “I just threw up in my mouth” makes me want to throw up in YOUR MOUTH whenever you say it!!! UGH!

  22. Aly says:

    I really though that the fashion blogger favorite, “achingly cool,” had seen its last days. But it just appeared on net-a-porter’s magazine this week. I am still a fan of net-a-porter, but their magazine is dead to me.

  23. Helen says:

    “Courtesy of” must die, at least when used by fashion bloggers. Your overpriced, unethical t-shirt is not “courtesy” of whoever is hip these days! Your “edgy” two-finger ring with a *gasp* cross or your pentagram necklace is not “courtesy” of random etsy-seller!

  24. Andra says:

    Aly, I quite like the idea of someone being “achingly cool” although it’s doubtful if I would ever have occasion to use it.
    I can’t think of anybody I know to whom this term would apply.
    However, I think I will, sometimes, think of myself as “achingly cool” – but silently.

  25. Jules says:

    Don’t think anyone mentioned it, but the quite horrible vajazzle, I mean seriously who the fuck had a look at a vagina and thought, well this could use a bit more bling …

    For the rest I think I’ve been quite good at avoiding/ignoring most of the words on the list and in the comments

    Love, Jules

  26. honeypants says:

    Jules — I abhor that!

    I would like to point out that the vagina is internal and is actually not what is being -azzled. It is instead the “Mons veneris” otherwise known as the Mons pubis, or just the Mons. So it should be referred to as Monazzled, but because people are idiots and didn’t pay attention in biology class they have come up with this shameful misnomer.

  27. Cricket9 says:

    Andra, I’m sure you ARE “achingly cool”… so am I on a good day – mua-ha-ha-ha ha-ha! Can’t imagine anyone using it in a real conversation, would probably pee myself laughing, I guess I don’t hang out in the right circles!
    Honeypants, you’re right – all these vajazzling people have a very weak grip on female anatomy.

  28. regularstarfish says:

    Thanks guys – laughed so hard! I needed this. I heard a new one today during a work meeting, must be common among the hipster crowd (another groan-inducing word: hipster), and it’s called…wait for it:

    U-Ex.

    Apparently it stands for “user experience”. As in the U-Ex that we are having on this site is wonderful because of the categories on the side and the archive.

    Give me a break.

  29. Elaine says:

    jeggings

  30. I have a new one ‘storyifying’ ugh!!

  31. honeypants says:

    Oh, I have to add “sexy time.” I HATE THAT!!!

  32. Dru says:

    ^ me too, honeypants. Just seeing the word “sexytimes” typed out – or worse, having to do it myself like I just did – makes me recoil.

  33. Elizette says:

    I’m with Aly on “achingly cool”, and would add “effortlessly cool” – I’m pretty sure it was on last year’s list but the damn thing still hasn’t gone away.

    Other words which drive me nuts are from office-speak more so than from blogging: touch base (STOP! just call them), drill down (as in, “once we’ve covered the basics we’ll drill down into the main topics”), and unpack (as in, “unpack the details (of a topic)”. Aaaarrrrrgghh!!!

    Further to Sister Wolf’s nomination of “artisan”, let’s add “artisinal” (commonly seen on cafe/restaurant menus to describe a dish or its ingredients).

  34. alison says:

    “HUBBY”, ew ew ew ew

  35. sprockets says:

    Price point

    Color way

    Awesome

    Awesome

    Awesome

  36. Jane says:

    If I hear one more person reply to something someone says with the
    arrogant “Really?” or “interesting?” You know the tone I am talking about.
    They must die.

  37. martha says:

    I’m tired of hearing “I’m obsessed with this & that” from all the fashion bloggers out there

  38. Tammy says:

    “Nom nom nom”… How old are you? Are you incapable of saying “tasty” “delicious” “this is good” ” I love this dish” or any variation thereof? This is the sound a baby makes when suckling mother’s breast. Is that what we want to sound like? Ick!

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