Banning words
Lake Superior State University has been nominating words / phrases for banning for 32 years, and this year's list has just been released.
It includes our old friend 'truthiness', the debased use of 'awesome' and the toe-curlingly awful 'we're pregnant'.
Way back lost in the mists of time, I read a suggestion that English should be 'democratised' by having words excised by the language, and one of my English teachers was much taken with the idea and suggested starting with 'nice'.
Nominations please.
(Dodgy link sorted out...)
It includes our old friend 'truthiness', the debased use of 'awesome' and the toe-curlingly awful 'we're pregnant'.
Way back lost in the mists of time, I read a suggestion that English should be 'democratised' by having words excised by the language, and one of my English teachers was much taken with the idea and suggested starting with 'nice'.
Nominations please.
(Dodgy link sorted out...)
Labels: Challenges to the readership, Neologisms
This entry was posted
on Monday, January 01, 2007 at 7:42 pm.
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I say we bring back phrases such as
"cats pajamas"!
and
"knuckle head"
The phrase "not helpful". This phrase has the power to make me want to pop someone on the nose.
"Disadvantaged".
"Equal opportunities employer. Currently, illegal immigrants from Somalia are under-represented in this sector."
"Not fit for purpose." OH SHUT UP!!!
Word to ben - Blair!
I mean ban
"literally"
"you know"
and to continue Verity's theme,
"institutionally racist"
also, given that we are doing this, can we nominate "Housnlow"...oh to be able to expunge the soils of the world so easily.
"Level playing field" is pretty awful.
They'll have to pry my cold, dead fingers off "truthiness". It's a corker of a word.
must improve my spelling. One acceptable new year's resolution perhaps.
Can we ban company-organisation names? As in ... Fair Trade.
Prefacing Labour with 'New' has always set my teeth grinding. The party did not change its name, so 'new' with quote marks is more appropriate.
The list on the link wasn't that great. The only good one was boasts in realtorspeak: "The bedroom boasts his 'n' her fireplaces."
There's probably a rich treasure trove in sports reporter-speak,although I wouldn't know.
Like 'it was a game of two halves'....
Croydonian - V good!
"carbon footprint" makes me froth at the mouth
"pleased to meet you"
Chances are I am fucking not pleased to meet them.
Stolen from private eye
"solutions"
Yes, that is particularly infuriating. As is the whole lunatic concept of "global warming" aka "climate change". As though climates were stable century after century. "Carbon footprint" is so goody-goody and self-congratulatory.
"Pleased to meet you" has an even worse cousin in the US, where some people say on introduction, "Good to know you!"
Anyone using 'bubbly' in connection with character deserves to be pistol whipped.
So does the person with the bubbly character.
"bonhomie"
definition.. A fat middle aged male git with a cigar who stinks of drink and has a passion for golf and Pringle knitwear.
Curse beta , its causing me grief
By contrast, there is a very interesting thread on Little Green Footballs regarding a new word being incorporated into the MSM - Zombietime - after the clever and motivated blogger Zombie. They are saying that 2007 is going to be the year of Zombietime, whereby bloggers beat the MSM into a corner with corrections of inaccurate or prejudiced stories.
I don't think there is any context where the user of the phrase "front bottom" can escape with credibility as a human being intact.
"Can I help you ?" should be replaced with its honest translation" What are you doing here .. go away!"
Systemic
Subjective as in "Its all subjective" ...oh goodness what an insight !!
Exclusion...
Society well unexamined at least( no such thing )
Oh and work and tomorrow….yeeesh
"front bottom"
or WILLETTE
A realistic doll was launched in Australia and they interviewed litle girls who were given it to play with.One said
"She`s got hair on her bottom like a lady "
It has always stuck in my mind . I have no idea why .
"social exclusion"
people who are excluded for a reason
And a two-handed pistol whipping for 'heart-warming'.
"hard working families"
fucking beat that?
I'll raise you 'investment' when used in the context of spending.
cant beat that but wil seew with "renewal" or "review"
"progressive consensus"
Thats a GB gem
"Social intiative"
Definatley one for the scrap heap just like NuLab.
Also "Gun Amnesty" We will need the guns for all the pistol whippings that have to be dished out
eeerm I have used some of those words.I hope I will not be subject to Newmaniaphobic attitudes and victimisation.....
I feel so excluded boo hoo hoo
ooo hang on "racial stereotypes" or "glass ceiling".
"Liberal - Conservative" huh?
"Broad tent"
Newmania
I'm sure we can arrange a social initiative not to exclude you if you feel so disadvantaged. A progressive concensus could be reached to allow you fair teade access to a level playing field.
I`ve come over all Croydonianaphobic and will have to go to bed ans "work through my issues"
"the issue"
I miss blunketts weekly "crackdown"
usually accompanied by TV footage of the self pitying, bullying stalinist clown stood there with his fucking dog outside of the Home Office, followed by fuck all action until the next pointless "crackdown"
I hope the cunt falls over at home, knocks himself out and gets eaten by his guide dog.
apologies for the profanity Mrs C.
Nicely played Buster.zzzz
What about "prudent" when used by Gordon. The man who has overspent our cash on... well you name it really.
a moratorium on use of 'journey'. Everything these days is a bloody journey. And quest.
And total bans on 'it is time to move on'. 'mistakes have been made'. 'lessons have been learned'.
Oh - and 'Uni'
Referring to people who have an aversion to islam as racist or islamophobic.
Please, T Blair, write out one million times: "islam is a religion, not a race". Then write out a million times: "A phobia is an irrational fear (not a dislike)." There is nothing irrational about our suspicion that the islamics mean us ill, viz Nine/11, Madrid Railway Station, Bali, beheaded Christian schoolgirls in Indonesia, 7/7, the plan to blow up 10 airliners from London over 10 American cities.
The thought fascists must cease and desist from calling Brits - who all take holidays overseas and many of whom own permanent or holiday homes overseas - "Little Englanders" and "xenophobes" because they don't want to be swamped with immigrants, I will demand remedial reading lessons for the cabinet, the BBC and Guardian journalists.
I have read that the Grauniad bans the usage "bogus asylum-seeker" in its pages, as though it is an oxymoron.
But I suspect it is not...
Aaaaaaaaarggggh! I've just seen "prudent"! How could we not have picked up on "prudent" before?
Buster George - Well said! And "Move on", Nick Drew. Also, "draw a line under". Weaselly, escapist yet faintly hectoring phrases. My reaction is always, "No, Tony. I'm not moving on until I get an explanation and an apology, you cheap little twerp." There are many landmarks I have not "moved on" from during the Blair regime. I haven't "moved on" from Bernie Eccleston. I haven't "drawn a line under" Mandelson's mortgages and lies. I most assuredly, have not drawn any lines under or moved on from the strange and unexpected death of Dr David Kelly. I haven't "drawn a line" under Tessa Jowell and her suspicious husband. I haven't moved on from David Blunkett using his position to get his married girlfriend's Filippina maid's residency papers. Etc. Etc. Etc. Etc.
I still have "issues" with this regime.
Oh, well-spotted, Permex! The best earthquakes and tsunamis all include women and children. In fact, they're "inclusive" enough to be included in the zanulab lexicon. And air disasters often include "women and children" unless they're a bunch of imams on a charter flight.
"Bogus asylum seeker" an oxymoron? Well, actually, it is an oxymoron. I do not believe there are any legitimate "asylum seekers" in Britain. If they were scared for their lives, they'd have been grateful to have made it to Greece, Italy, Portugal, Malta, Poland, Spain, Germany, France ... So I do think that any "asylum seeker" who lands on British shores is an oxymoron.
'Community'. A team pistol whipping for use of that one, as in 'the black community', 'the gay community' etc etc.
Reach for your wallets
"fairness"
"millitants"
"diversity"
Phitch - you missed the word "celebrating" off your post.
Croydonian, yes pistol whipping with extreme prejudice for 'community'. I nominate 'community' for the most sleazy debauchment of the English language of the turn of the century. God, there are so many negative facets to 'community' that it could only have been vomited out of the mouths of Blairites. It is an intentionally vicious usage.
'Community' has been reducing the normally mild-mannered Croydonian to fury since I was at school, and that was a lawwnnnng time ago.
verity
I almost did add "celebrating"
sometimes there is a bus parked on my road that belongs to some organisation called Skola
skola.co.uk
on the side of this bus is the legend "celebrating diversity"
It's Orwellian-speak (God! What a prophet! Cats Be upon Him!) Intentional misdirecting of the language, in that 'community' sounds inclusive (if you're a very stupid person and not fly to the socialists) whereas it is intended to be divisive and factionalise.) It is all so dark and sinister.
Thanks, Croydonian (Puppies Be upon You).
'Community'
How about 'community leader' then. During the investigation into the Ipswich murders I heard a police spokesperson (spokesperson is another nominee of course) say that they needed to speak to members of the prostitute using and drug dealer communities.
PHitch - Well, why didn't you add "celebrating" because that is what it has all be about for the last ten sleazebag years.
Why would I want to "celebrate" something I'm not even interested in? It's like saying I should "celebrate" Finnish. Or rhubarb.
And what is this colonisation of the word "celebrate" to their foul ends?
What the hell is "diversity" except divisive? These people really hate Britain, don't they? I keep saying, Blair is an evil little sprite - either driven by evil himself or a vessel for it. (Privilege Be upon Him.)
I want to "celebrate monoculturalism" with a few clever, motivated immigrants who have spent a certain period of time being vetted before being let loose on our own mix (Paradigms Be upon Them)- not primitive "asylum seekers who could have sought 'asylum' in 20 countries before crossing the English Chanel and bothering us (Passports Be Not upon Them).
I am so glad I am out of there because next up is the undemocratic "fix" of Gordon Brown (Prudence Be upon Him).
"Right wing" when used to describe national socialists. This comparison of John McDonnell and the BNP's policies best exemplifies my point.
"Insightful" always makes me think someone is trying to start an argument. "In all honesty", "the reality is" and "I'm a pretty straight kind of guy" should go too.
..or inciteful as I put it, you are winning the "battle of ideas" for me Lillith and greatly helping me make "tough descisions" I have will set myself "new challenges and goals"to emulate you
and I wish to out you "at the heart of " my future policy.
Could i possibly banna whole sentence - Margaret beckett"we look forward to working closely Bulgaria and Romania on such challenges as energy ,security, climate change , organised crime and terrorism "
To be fair Political corrcetness "gone mad" is getting way past its sell by date
Yes, Newmania - "political correctness" and "political correctness gone mad" have set my teeth on edge me for several years now. Political correctness is fancy dress for "thought fascism" and was deliberately designed as such.
And why have we all left out the big one? Multiculturalism! Another way of saving "unravelling your highly developed civilisation and folk mores that have evolved over 2,000 years".
Finally, can we excise Tony Blair and the fat, greedy Blairina from our national vocabularly and consciousness? Personally, I favour the Romanian option, but as that is probably not legal, I would favour a five-year long "crimes against humanity" (for Cherie's dress sense alone)trial and then a legal execution, videoed for our later viewing pleasure while spooning up a tub of Haagen Daaz.
Human. Resources.
Anon at 3.01 - How very, very true. Ghastly 'people', all of them.
Human resources! How did we leave that out?
Anonymous takes a bow
Perhaps anonymous should take on identity for him or herself.
"Social responsibility". Sadly, this was David Cameron in a stunning piece of ZaNuLabour lingua creep. He certainly is an adaptable opportunist and has now perfected his Labour camouflage to the point where his utterances are indistinguishable from the real thing.
Transferable skills.
An emotional rollercoaster.
Someone's on a roll now. 'Self starter'
Verity - This morn we are all philosphers , take your musket and scew up your courage as we man the barricades of the ...
"Resposibilty Revoltuion "
Oh
Come out anon I have stale bread crumbs and milk for you.....
Level playing field.
Moving the goalposts.
Verity you are announcing "Level playing field as if it was a new "initiative" it has in fact already been announced.
Have you been writing Broons pre-budget speech.
I like the grammar of Blair`s "Policy review to look radically for new solutions .."
and lets stop this "Poodle" nonsense Poodles are lovely dogs
I have never understood the profound level of naiveté of people who refer to Blair as Bush's "poodle". Blair has always had his eye on the goal, which is the American lecture circuit and the commanding of high fees if endorsed by Mr Bush.
I also have never thought for one minute that Mr Bush is not aware of this.
(I also believe Blair will entertain the notion of starting up a think tank in DC - an oxymoron in his case - with his name on it. His dreams of becoming the popular choice for unelected "president" of the EUSSR have turned to ashes, but there's still Washington, DC.
Needless to say, I am thinking negative thoughts in the hope that this, too, will be snatched away from him. I need a good laugh.
Just for you, Newmania: "at the end of the day".
Touch Base
Pitch Up
a fav Blairism
" And I say to you"
eyes right and upwards (he has read body language books) trembling lip .... followed by some bollocks
"inappropriate" sets my teeth on edge. It's always used by Blears-type halfwits who want silent assent (or at least just silence) without even the trouble of explaining why.
In the sense it is used now, one of my New Year resolutions is to live inappropriately all year.
agree tom
as in "its inapproriate for you to grope womens arses at the christmas party mr hitchens"
Rubbish!
they love it (+:
For some delicious new words (as good as truthiness)
Michael Adams lexicon of Slayer slang might lower the word-rage pressure. Which brings to mind 'stake holders' and:
anonymous, throwing all his toys out of his pram, differently-abled (along with all the failures to use hyphens correctly in correct-speak compund nouns).
This evening, I stumbled upon "neuro-diverse" (to describe people with Autism, etc). "Focus group" make my blood boil for some reason.
Random glance at Slayer-speak :
suckfest, inner moppet, Undead American, Xpose', vibage, vague up, groiny, droppage, unminiony...
HG - My appetite is whetted.
Meanwhile, I think this rates as a Hall of Fame thread, so I'm going to pin it.
Hatfield Girl - No linkee for the new Lexicon?
Another another humble contribution from moi-self, "partially sighted" and - even worse in its toe-curling, teeth on edge, blood curling pc horror, "sighted". Yes, I have honestly read this.
Oh, I just came across something from the Slayer Lexicon: "major clueage". I LOVE IT!
"legally blind" has always confused me slightly.
You all need to start thinking outside the box if you are to bring anything new to the table.
I once sat through a brainstorming session with a "consultant" where he encouraged feedback, bear in mind this was to a room of people who didn't give a fuck and probably earned more than he did (and were drunk)
Everytime an argument started to develop he would place his hands into a T position (palm to point) and say "time out"
WANKER !
"ignorant"
used by lefties to describe the argument of someone they disagree with
This is an especially annoying wannabee because a T for time out is not even British. It's used by referees of American football.
Michael Hoskin, they also splatter the word "racist" around. And xenophobic and islamophobic - appearing not to understand the definition of phobic. Also, another golden oldie from the 30s and 40s of the last century, "Little Englander". Given that the entire population is either on holiday overseas or is busy on the internet booking trips overseas, or has just purchased property in Europe or Florida, this is beyond ludicrous. But they spit these words out with a venom they feel is truly point-scoring.
Extending matters to non-verbal communication, anyone who makes air quotes after a first warning should lose their digits. I feel quite strongly about this.
Yes, air quotes are WRONG. But I find flicking the Vs very satisfying, especitally if you actually flick. I only do that to my siblings, however.
Wow who is this masked anonymou ,...what an ace thread...
I am in awe
Come on anon - give yourself a name.
Anonymous wrote (inexplicably): But I find flicking the Vs very satisfying, especially if you actually flick. I only do that to my siblings, however.
And this primitive sign language pertains to spoken language and its manipulation by the left for manipulative purposes how exactly?
People sometimes use sign language when its redundant. For example making a phone sign with little finger and thumb extended whilst saying "I `m going to get the phone".
More commonly saying "fancy a pint " and simultaneously making a drinking gesture .
...as if some meta-linguistic clarification were needed. As alternative comedians do love to say ”Whats all that about huh?”
Did I say meta-linguistic ? Well only once and I think I got away with it .
Come on anon I `m dying to know who you aren’t especially after the “at the end of the day” jibe…do you know me in “meat world”?
oops looks like I`ve wandered off topic a bit as well but it wasn`t just leftist manipulation was it Verity ?
Oops! One more just spotted in today's first thread about the speed camera.
Partnership.
'Progressive'.
Win-win situation.
I attended a course today and was flumoxed by the latest in manager wank speak - helicopter vision! What a load of crap....
Issues. Especially in "issues around".
"turned round", as in "and then he turned round to me and said ...."
"On a regular basis" instead of "regularly".
Cornelius Madman - On a regular basis - v good!
Anonymou - I don't think "turned around" is pretentious NuLabour/socialist/lefty
speak. I remember Kenneth Williams doing a funny interview on the saying years ago. ("My mum was always turning around," he said. "So were the neighbours.")
"Insurgents" for suicide bombers.
"Youths" as in Beeb-speak for French Muslim immigrant specialists in car-burning.
Feedback.
Stakeholders.
'Best practice'.
"elephant in the living room"
"Challenges" has replaced the word "problems"
Comments are now locked due to posts by scumbag spammers. If you have anything useful to add, e-mail me and I will temporarily unlock the thread.
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