Shortly before the new year, Lake Superior State University released their annual list of “Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness.”
An interesting name since the “Queen’s” English hasn’t been widely used in the US for at least a century.
But since 2WC loves a good hopeless cause, it would be a crime to not lend an assist.
The list ranges from the extremely overused to the just obnoxious when used at all.
Topping the list this year is “amazing,” with “occupy”, “ginormous” and “man cave,” among the highlights.
If your wondering just how you’re going to survive without these staples of the modern-day vernacular, here are some suggestions:
Amazing: See title
Occupy: absorb, amuse, or if you prefer a truly ironic replacement for the “occupy” movement—employ.
Ginormous: prodigious, monumental, or the baby-steps version—very large.
Man Cave:
…I think a lot of us will agree this one can be replaced with silence.
True, these words represent a small portion of a much larger collection. And let’s face it, we should be thankful that they’re used correctly (even if applied too generously) on a somewhat regular basis.
But wouldn’t it be nice to be flabbergasted every now and then?
It would certainly mix things up.
_____________________________________
More on the Story: The Guardian
…just for fun:
Sing Your Synonyms
Advertisement
