Yowzers, it’s that time of year again
Happy new year!
Seriously, folks.
That’s right. Seriously, folks.
I’m not really suggesting my good wishes weren’t conveyed with proper sincerity.
It’s just that I banned the phrase in question from my columns in 2017, a self-imposed punishment for its overuse as an annoying writing tic the previous many years.
The practice of purging lame phrases or words for one year is something I owe to the good people of Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
The school publishes an annual list of words “banished from the Queen’s English for misuse, overuse and general uselessness.”
The 43rd list was released this past weekend, the highlight of which was probably the inclusion of “fake news.”
Fat chance of that phrase going out of fashion, given that its prime purveyor is ensconced in the White House for at least a few more years.
Still, those pushing for its expulsion from vocabularies are correct in noting that evidence was once required before attaching this label to stories.
“Now ‘fake news’ is any story you disagree with,” the university pointed out in a news release.
As for others on the list, I like the idea of banishing the phrase “drill down,” which the alleged wise ones among us are substituting for “expanding on a statement.” The same could be said for “impactful,” a frivolous word trying to be effective or influential.
Then there’s dish, as in discussing the latest rumour about someone (“talks about” would do); tons, when describing an exaggerated quantity (“lots” would suffice); nothingburger (“says nothing that ‘nothing’ doesn’t already say”); and unpack (“misused word for analyze, consider, assess”).
Less compelling banished words are pr e-owned( why now ?); on boarding/ off boarding( kind of obscure ); let that sink in and let me ask you this; hot water heater (should simply be water heater — a bit picky); gig economy (never heard of it); and covfefe (a Twitter Trump typo, I believe, that has turned into a mocking phrase).
But enough of Lake Superior State and its large wordsmith universe.
Time, once again, to enter my tiny world.
Yes, it’s time to banish a misused, overused or useless word from my columns in 2018.
As I have noted in the past, the banned word, no matter how irritating or meaningless it may be, cannot be one that directly relates to news coverage such as puck palace, Grandson of Port Tower, GO train service, NPCA, Siscoe Five, useless all-way stops or Petrowski, Gale, Quirk, Maves, Annunziata, Barrick, Timms, Jeffs and Volpatti (also known as the Caslin Crew.)
Rather, it must be plucked from my overstuffed stable of superfluous expressions that convey no meaning, but instead offer up clumsy segues, forced whimsy, feigned concern or insincere declarations.
You know, stuff like egads, just kidding, you know, say what?, truth be told, that’s right, at any rate, for crying out loud, stay tuned, still, alas and wow.
Past recipients of one-year bans were yowzers (twice), sheesh, oops, hey, hmm, of course, mind you, oh well, sadly and last year’s seriously, folks.
Sheesh, that’s an embarrassing list. Mind you, a worthy one.
OK, it’s decision time. Hmm … There is no shortage of candidates. Think ouch, without further ado, bummer, go figure, huh?, that said, I mean and yee-haw. Plus, there are those from the previously mentioned egads-to-wow list.
Wow, this is difficult.
Still, it must be done.
So, without further ado, the phrase to be banished from my column throughout the year is … just kidding.
Seriously, folks.