banished words

Every January Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie publishes a list of 15 Words to Be Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness.

This year’s losers (and some reasons given for banishing them):

1 Green
2 Carbon Footprint
3 Maverick

4 First Dude - “Skateboard English is not an appropriate way to refer to the spouse of a high-ranking public official.”

5 Bailout - “Use of emergency funds to remove toxic assets from banks’ balance sheets is not a bailout. When your cousin calls you from jail in the middle of the night, he wants a bailout.”

6 Wall Street/Main Street
7 -monkey (all-purpose internet suffix)
8 Icon/iconic
9 Game changer
10 Staycation (stay-at-home-vacation)
11 Desperate Search
12 Not so much
13 Winner of Five Nominations

14 It’s that time of year again - “When is it not ‘that time of year again?”

Any English speaker is eligible to nominate a word and give a reason for its banishment.

Check out the LSSU site:
Origins of the contest
2009 List and reasons for banishment
Submit your choice for 2010 List