Banished Word List Has Tons of Impactful Entries

Lake Superior State University just released it’s annual list of “banished” words and phrases.

This year, there’s a lot to unpack.

The 43rd edition of the list, as the 42 that preceded it, includes words and phrases deemed overused, misused, or generally useless by word-watchers from all over the world. For the 2018 version, the editors have chosen the following for banishment (with reasons for inclusion):

• Unpack–Misused word for analyze, consider, or assess.
• Tons–An exaggerated quantity, as in “tons of work”.
• Dish–To gossip or talk about someone (editors say dishes should be left in the cupboard).
• Pre-owned–A euphemism for “used”.
• Onboarding/Offboarding–Office jargon for “hiring” and “firing”.
• Nothingburger–Says nothing that “nothing” doesn’t already say.
• Let That Sink In–(Too) often follows something the speaker thinks you should think is important.
• Impactful–A word groping for something “effective” or “Influential.”
• Let Me Ask You This–Useless, just ask the question.
• Covfefe–An impulsive typo that first appeared on Twitter and took on a life of its own.
• Drill Down–As in “drilling down” on a topic instead of expanding on it.
• Fake News–Overused term to describe news/facts which one disbelieves or refuses to accept as true.
• Hot Water Heater–From the Department of Redundancy Department.
• Gig Economy–Euphemism for “odd jobs”.

LSSU spokesman John Shibley says about 900 words and phrases since the first one was introduced on Jan. 1, 1976.