List of Banished Words for 2007: “It is what it is”

Dec 31st, 2007 | By Ara | Category: Uncategorized

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Lake Superior State University has published it’s list of banished words for 2007. Here are the ones that I’m guilty of using. How about you?

  • ORGANIC – Another advertising gimmick to make things sound better than they really are, according to Rick DeVan of Willoughby, Ohio, who said he has heard claims such as “My business is organic,” and computers having “organic software.”
  • POST 9/11 – “‘Our post-9/11 world,’ is used now, and probably used more, than AD, BC, or Y2K, time references. You’d think the United States didn’t have jet fighters, nuclear bombs, and secret agents, let alone electricity, ‘pre-9/11.’” – Chazz Miner, Midland, Michigan.
  • ‘BLANK’ is the new ‘BLANK’ or ‘X’ is the new ‘Y’ – “‘Orange is the new black.’ ‘50 is the new 30.’ ‘Chocolate is the new sex.’ ‘Sex is the new chocolate.’ ‘Fallacy is the new truth.’ – Patrick Dillon, East Lansing, Michigan.
  • BACK IN THE DAY – “This one might’ve already made the list back in the day, which was a Wednesday, I think.” – Tim Bradley, Los Angeles, California.
  • RANDOM – Popular with teenagers in many places.

    • “Over-used and usually out of context, i.e. ‘You are so random!’ Really? Random is supposed to mean ‘by chance.’ So what I said was by chance, and not by choice?” – Gabriel Brandel, Farmington Hills, Michigan.

  • SWEET – “Youth lingo overuse, similar to ‘awesome.’ I became sick of this one immediately.” – Gordon Johnson, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  • UNDER THE BUS – “For overuse. I frequently hear this in the cliché-filled sports world, where it’s used to describe misplaced blame – i.e. ‘After Sunday’s loss, the fans threw T.O. under the bus.” – Mark R. Hinkston, Racine, Wisconsin.

And here’s the one I have been using since the early 90s:

  • IT IS WHAT IT IS – “Only Yogi Berra should be allowed to utter such a circumlocution.” – Jerry Holloway, Belcamp, Maryland.

The entire list of banished words can be found here.


2 comments
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  1. Mark Adams January 1st, 2008 1:50 am :

    Although it’s on your list, no one explains it better than Nick Beaudrot at Cogitamus:

    Surge. Stop. Just stop. Although it gives me an excuse to make a bad physics/politics joke: What’s a change in position? Velocity. What’s a change in velocity? Acceleration. What’s a change in acceleration? Surge, or perhaps Jerk. What’s a change in jerk? An election.

  2. Ara Rubyan January 1st, 2008 11:59 am :

    Too funny!

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