Banned words for 2009
05/01/2009, Author: Alan Redman
In the run up to Christmas we decided to ban the phrase 'current climate' from the office because we were fed up with hearing it. We also felt that it's better for one's morale to focus on opportunities in 2009 rather than the challenges that are being widely catastrophised about.
So 'current climate' joins other banned words and phrases on the Criterion blacklist such as 'leverage', 'traction' and 'item response theory'.
We're not alone in enforcing linguistic best practice. The Guardian publishes a fantastic style guide covering use of language in general, the Improvement and Development Agency produced a list of 100 banned words in 2007 (which read like someone meta-analysed invitation to tender documents) while my favourite is the annual Lake Superior State University list of banished words. Their 2009 list has just been publised and the highlights for me are 'carbon offsetting' (for missing the point), 'game changer' (perilously close to 'change agent' or 'opinion former') and 'staycation'(just wrong).
So I'd like to invite further submissions to the Criterion list of banned words & phrases for 2009 and initiate this as an annual event. Here's some from me:
Facebooking.
LOL. Please just stop it.
Going forward.
Photoshop (when used as a verb)
I'll add more whenever something enrages me. Further suggestions would be warmly welcome and will be added to the blacklist on merit.
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