2007 ‘banished’ words

Are there some English expressions you’re tired of hearing and reading? Do you wish you could do something about them? IS there something you can do about them? Probably not, unless you have a little control like an editor, a classroom teacher, or a courtroom judge. Otherwise, you can vent your frustrations or feel validated via the Banished Words List.

Every year Lake Superior State University, Michigan, USA, solicits overused words from the public. From the site:

Word-watchers target pet peeves from everyday speech, as well as from the news, fields of education, technology, advertising, politics and more.

Here’s this year’s list:

2007 List of Banished Words.

Observations

GONE/WENT MISSING — “It makes ‘missing’ sound like a place you can visit, such as the Poconos. Is the person missing, or not? She went there but maybe she came back. ‘Is missing’ or ‘was missing’ would serve us better.” — Robin Dennis, Flower Mound, Texas.

You can also go swimming, go fishing, go horseback riding, etc. Go missing, however, is indeed a bit different. If you wander off and get lost, perhaps you go missing. But if you’re in your home and get carted off by kidnappers, did you go missing? It doesn’t bother me, though.

HEALTHY FOOD — Point of view is everything.

Someone told Joy Wiltzius of Fort Collins, Colorado, that the tuna steak she had for lunch “sounded healthy.” Her reply: “If my lunch were healthy, it would still be swimming somewhere. Grilled and nestled in salad greens, it’s ‘healthful.’”

I’m not against the healthy (person)/healthful (food) distinction, but that battle is long lost. Healthy also means “healthful” (promoting good health). The American Heritage Dictionary Book of English Usage (bartleby.com/64/C003/0156.html) [EDIT (6/4/10): dead link] points out that

healthy has been used to mean ‘healthful’ since the 16th century. You can find the ‘healthful’ use of healthy in the works of many distinguished writers [including John Locke].

The contributors make good points on “drug deal gone bad” and “we’re pregnant.” It’s also hard to go wrong with criticizing advertising language (“the master bedroom boasts” X).

Where do the banished words go, though? Maybe they go missing and try to keep a healthy outlook.