pwn just got pwnt
"Every New Year's Day since 1976 the university has issued an annual 'List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use or General Uselessness' compiled from nominations sent from all over the world, covering all manner of word or phraseology which some consider to be worthy of exile. For more than a quarter-century our list has rooted out grammatical subterfuge at the source. Doublespeak and sloppy talk continue to flourish. Now is not the time to drop our guard."
Here are the 16 banned words and phrases on the 2007 list that were winnowed down from some 4,500 entries:
1. Gitmo: The U.S. military's shorthand for a base in Cuba drives a wedge wider than a split infinitive.
2. Combined Celebrity Names: Celebrity duos of yore--BogCall (Bogart and Bacall), Lardy (Laurel and Hardy), and CheeChong (Cheech and Chong)--just got lucky. It's bad enough that celebrities have to be the top news stories. Now we've given them obnoxious names such as "Brangelina," "TomKat" and "Bennifer."
3. Awesome: Sneakers are not "awesome." The word will be banished until such time as it can once again mean "fear mingled with admiration or reverence; a feeling produced by something majestic."
4. Gone/Went Missing: It makes "missing" sound like a place you can visit, such as the Poconos. It should be "is missing" or "was missing."
5. PWN or PWNED: This word is just an overly used Internet typo. Among online gamers, it means to soundly defeat an opponent, but it has been overused to the point that people who play those online games are now using it in everyday speech.
6. Now Playing in Theaters: Heard in movie advertisements. After all, how often do movies premiere in Laundromats or shoe stores?
7. We're Pregnant: Grounded for nine months. Any woman who has given birth will tell you that "WE" did not deliver the baby.
8. Undocumented Alien: If they haven't followed the law to get here, they are by definition "illegal." It's like saying a drug dealer is an "undocumented pharmacist."
9. Armed Robbery Gone Bad/Drug Deal Gone Bad: From news reports. What degree of "bad" don't we understand?
10. Truthiness: Popularized by "The Colbert Report," this word that used to ring true is getting all the truth wrung out of it.
11. Ask Your Doctor: The chewable vitamin morphine of marketing.
12. Chipotle: Before 2005, it was a roasted jalapeno. Now we have a "chipotle" burrito with "chipotle" marinated meat, "chipotle" peppers, sprinkled with a "chipotle" seasoning and smothered in a "chipotle" sauce. Time to give this word a rest.
13. i-Anything: "e-Anything" made the list in 2000.
14. Search: Might as well banish it. The word has been replaced by "Google."
15. Healthy Food: The correct terminology is "healthful food."
16. Boasts: Used in the real estate classifieds, as in "master bedroom boasts his-and-her fireplaces." What's next? "The bathroom apologizes for cracked linoleum."
Here are the 16 banned words and phrases on the 2007 list that were winnowed down from some 4,500 entries:
1. Gitmo: The U.S. military's shorthand for a base in Cuba drives a wedge wider than a split infinitive.
2. Combined Celebrity Names: Celebrity duos of yore--BogCall (Bogart and Bacall), Lardy (Laurel and Hardy), and CheeChong (Cheech and Chong)--just got lucky. It's bad enough that celebrities have to be the top news stories. Now we've given them obnoxious names such as "Brangelina," "TomKat" and "Bennifer."
3. Awesome: Sneakers are not "awesome." The word will be banished until such time as it can once again mean "fear mingled with admiration or reverence; a feeling produced by something majestic."
4. Gone/Went Missing: It makes "missing" sound like a place you can visit, such as the Poconos. It should be "is missing" or "was missing."
5. PWN or PWNED: This word is just an overly used Internet typo. Among online gamers, it means to soundly defeat an opponent, but it has been overused to the point that people who play those online games are now using it in everyday speech.
6. Now Playing in Theaters: Heard in movie advertisements. After all, how often do movies premiere in Laundromats or shoe stores?
7. We're Pregnant: Grounded for nine months. Any woman who has given birth will tell you that "WE" did not deliver the baby.
8. Undocumented Alien: If they haven't followed the law to get here, they are by definition "illegal." It's like saying a drug dealer is an "undocumented pharmacist."
9. Armed Robbery Gone Bad/Drug Deal Gone Bad: From news reports. What degree of "bad" don't we understand?
10. Truthiness: Popularized by "The Colbert Report," this word that used to ring true is getting all the truth wrung out of it.
11. Ask Your Doctor: The chewable vitamin morphine of marketing.
12. Chipotle: Before 2005, it was a roasted jalapeno. Now we have a "chipotle" burrito with "chipotle" marinated meat, "chipotle" peppers, sprinkled with a "chipotle" seasoning and smothered in a "chipotle" sauce. Time to give this word a rest.
13. i-Anything: "e-Anything" made the list in 2000.
14. Search: Might as well banish it. The word has been replaced by "Google."
15. Healthy Food: The correct terminology is "healthful food."
16. Boasts: Used in the real estate classifieds, as in "master bedroom boasts his-and-her fireplaces." What's next? "The bathroom apologizes for cracked linoleum."