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Every year since 1976, Lake Superior State University has released a “List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness” on New Year’s Day. While the school cheerfully admits that the tongue-in-cheek tradition is meant to draw publicity to Michigan’s smallest public university, the list is widely enjoyed, and hundreds of nominations are received every year.

LSSU’s Banished Words: 2015

  • BAE Polar vortex Hack Skill set Swag Foodie Curate/curated Friend-raising Cra-cra Enhanced interrogation Takeaway -nation

LSSU’s Banished Words: 2014

  • Selfie Twerk/twerking Hashtag Twittersphere Mister mom T-bone _______on steroids -ageddon (car-ageddon, budget-ageddon, etc.) -pocalypse (see above) Intellectually/morally bankrupt Obamacare Adversity Fan base

LSSU’s Banished Words: 2013

  • Fiscal cliff Kick the can down the road Double down Job creators/creation Passion, passionate YOLO Spoiler alert Bucket list Trending Superfood Boneless wings Guru

LSSU’s Banished Words: 2012

  • Amazing Baby bump Shared sacrifice Occupy Blowback Man cave The new normal Pet parent Win the future Trickeration Ginormous Thank you in advance

LSSU’s Banished Words: 2011

  • Viral Epic Fail WOW factor A-ha moment Back story BFF Man up Refudiate Mama grizzlies The American people I’m just sayin’ Facebook/google as verbs Live life to the fullest

LSSU’s Banished Words: 2010

  • Shovel-ready – ready to implement or begin Transparent/transparency Czar TweetApp SextingFriend as a verbTeachable momentIn these economic times… Stimulus Toxic AssetsToo big to failBromance – a friendly relationship between two men Chillaxin’Obama as prefix– Obamanation, Obamacare

LSSU’s Banished Words: 2009

  • GreenCarbon footprint/carbon offsetting MaverickFirst dudeBailout Wall Street/Main Street-monkey – adding “monkey” to the end of a word to make it more attractive and interesting – in electronic communication, resembles a heart, used to mean “love” Icon/iconicGame changerStaycationDesperate searchNot so muchWinner of five nominationsIt’s that time of year again

LSSU’s Banished Words: 2008

  • Perfect Storm Webinar — a seminar on the web about multiple topicsWaterboarding OrganicWordsmith/Wordsmithing Post 9/11SurgeGive backBlack Friday— referring to the day after Thanksgiving that retailers use to keep themselves out of the ‘red’ for the year.Back in the day SweetDecimateEmotionalPopIt is What it isUnder the bus

LSSU’s Banished Words: 2007

  • GITMO — military shorthand for the Guantanamo Bay Naval BaseCombined Celebrity Names — e.g., Bennifer, TomKat, BragelinaAwesome — diluted from its meaning of “inspiring awe”Gone/Went MissingPwn or Pwned — gamer slang for “own,” originally a typoNow Playing in TheatersWe’re PregnantUndocumented AlienArmed Robbery / Drug Deal Gone BadTruthiness — coined by Stephen Colbert as the quality possessed by a belief one feels is true, in defiance of facts or logicAsk Your DoctorChipotlei-AnythingSearchHealthy Food — as opposed to “healthful”Boasts — as in “the apartment boasts hardwood floors”

LSSU’s Banished Words: 2006

  • SurrealHunker DownPerson of InterestCommunity of LearnersUp or Down VoteBreaking NewsDesigner BreedFEMAFirst-Time CallerPass the Savings on to You!97% Fat FreeAn Accident that Didn’t Have to HappenJunk ScienceGit-er-doneDawgTalking PointsHoliday Tree

Source: Lake Superior State University. Web: http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php

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TrendingHere are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.

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TrendingHere are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.

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Current Events This Week: January 2023

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Andersen’s Fairy Tales: Contents

The Celtic Twilight: A Teller of Tales

  • Did Birds Evolve from Dinosaurs?
  • The Twelve Dancing Princesses
  • Current Events This Week: January 2023
  • African Americans by the Numbers
  • Andersen’s Fairy Tales: Contents
  • The Celtic Twilight: A Teller of Tales