Jewish World Review Jan. 15, 2003 / 12 Shevat, 5763

David Grimes

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Banish these words, now more than ever


http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | Although no one, inexplicably, seems interested in banning the words "New Year's Resolution" from the English language, the good folks at Lake Superior State University have come up with many other worthwhile nominations.

The school just released its 28th annual "extreme" List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness, which, according to school officials, the world needs "now more than ever."

"Material breach," "weapons of mass destruction" and "homeland security" were three often-repeated words that made the list.

"Material breach suggests an obstetrical complication that pulls a physician off the golf course," complained a nominator from Washington, D.C. Another pointed out that "weapons of mass destruction" has been overused to the point of meaninglessness. ("A machete could be a weapon of mass destruction if enough people are wielding them," said one nominator.) Other terms, like "homeland security," are simply unnecessary. What was wrong with "national security?"

Many terms get added to the list because they're insulting to the intelligence. "Make no mistake about it," a term we've been pounded with incessantly since the 2000 election, falls into that category. Who's mistaken, anyway?

"Extreme" is the word I nominate to be flushed first down the toilet of linguistic drek. It's one thing to call snowboarding extreme; it's another thing entirely to label a cheeseburger, a soft drink or a deodorant that way. (I am, at the moment, seated in my extreme cubicle staring at the extreme ceiling tiles waiting for my extreme $11.95 watch to hit noon so I can go out for an extreme tuna salad.)

Television offers a one-two punch: It rots our minds and our language. "Must-watch TV?" I don't think so. How about "must change channel" or "must locate remote."

Some phrases have the ability to suck the energy right out of you. "Now more than ever" falls in that category. Just typing the words makes me feel like I'm coming down with the flu. Coined to rally and inspire Americans after the terrorist attacks, it's now invoked for far less noble purposes, like store openings or movie debuts.

"Challenge" is one of those squishy-soft words that slithered out of the boardroom into everyday use, or more accurately, overuse. If you're a team player (there's another one), you welcome challenges, which is something I've never understood since most challenges in my experience involve something unpleasant like work. Also, a person who has been laid off from his job is not facing a challenge; he's got a serious problem.

Finally, from the sporting world, comes that quivering wad of linguistic Jell-O, "mental mistake." What other kind of mistake is there? Seldom is a confused pancreas responsible for a dropped pass.

Make no mistake about it, it is time that we Americans accept the extreme challenge and ban these words, now more than ever.

(For more information on the banished word list, visit Lake Superior State University's Web site at www.lssu.edu/banished)

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JWR contributor David Grimes is a columnist for The Sarasota Herald Tribune. Comment by clicking here.

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