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University wants the last word in use of phrases
A northern Michigan university has issued its annual list of annoying phrases and words that should be banned from the English language.
A northern Michigan university has issued its annual list of annoying phrases and words that should be banned from the English language. Phrases like ‘person of interest’ and ‘FEMA’ the acronym for the much criticised federal disaster relief agency are among the winners.
The 2006 ‘List of Words and Phrases Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness’ was released on Saturday by Lake Superior State University. The list was selected by a university committee.
The 17-word list was whittled down from a list of 2,000 nominations by a university panel. The small academic outpost in the northern Michigan community of Sault Ste. Marie has been compiling the list since 1976 as a way to attract publicity.
Among the nearly 800 words banned so far are ‘metrosexual’ (2004), ‘baby boomers’ (1989) and ‘detente’ (1976). Heading into 2006, the committee targeted linguistic gems as “hunker down,” which it noted is used by media “in reports about everything from politics to hurricanes.”
Also heard on the news is “person of interest,” a favourite of law enforcement agencies. Such a person is “seldom encountered at cocktail parties,” the authors noted. “Community of learners” is a phrase from the field of education. “Not to be confused with ‘school,’” wrote Jim Howard, a critic from Indiana.
