What are the words or phrases you’d most like banished from discourse after midnight? Here’s my start:
1. “Carbon footprint” – does anyone really know what that means and who came up with the definitive mearsurement? It became the green-chic word of 2008 and should disappear in ‘09.
2. “Vetted” – after two years of a campaign season that was one word that was bandied all over and, in one famous case, never actually done, so I’m done with the word.
3. “…but there’s more!” – unfortunately if I don’t hit the mute button fast enough that phrase is ubiquitous in late night commerical pitches, usually following “for only $19.95 …”
4. “You know” – I od’d on this phrase after Princess Caroline’s interviews. Who knew a 51 y/o Manhattanite was a Valley Girl?
5. “Literally” – this word is so overused and misused, I’d rather it gone then risk my launching myself, literally, at the next person who utters it. Heh.
Comment by Carin on 12/31 @ 3:16 pm #
You know, your list literally had me on the edge of my carbon footprint.
Comment by Bob Reed on 12/31 @ 3:23 pm #
How about AGW, or it’s euphamism climate change, being conflated with any serious science…
And I’m pretty sure that I’ll be adding hope! and change! to that list too…
Although, Obama would be one I’d like not to have to hear either…
Comment by Pablo on 12/31 @ 3:30 pm #
Yeah, climate change can go. It’s weather, people!
Comment by Synova on 12/31 @ 3:32 pm #
I am particularly annoyed by the word ilk.
Comment by Jeffersonian on 12/31 @ 3:36 pm #
I’m not sure, but I just can’t get enough of those Sham-Wow infomercials.
Comment by Loren Heal on 12/31 @ 3:42 pm #
When someone of your ilk talks about a carbon footprint, I wonder if you take climate change literally. Climate change was always a metaphor for, you know, the kind of green hope and change we all need after eight years of hate and greed. But there’s more: have you been vetted at all?
(Ahem. Sorry for ruining this thread.)
The word I’d rather not hear again: “racist”. And “Zionist”. Pretty much any “-ist” word is going to do it to me.
Comment by Bob Reed on 12/31 @ 3:46 pm #
Good one Loren!
Comment by Nan on 12/31 @ 3:47 pm #
I’m voting for “mandate” and “consensus”…. please make them go away.
Comment by urthshu on 12/31 @ 4:03 pm #
I could rest easily never hearing again any speculation about “root causes”.
Comment by Joan of Argghh! on 12/31 @ 4:06 pm #
No more thrills up the leg, please.
.
Comment by ginsocal on 12/31 @ 4:14 pm #
One phrase I WOULD like to hear more of: CBU-87. As in, “Today, the United States gave Israel 5,000 CBU-87’s for use against Hamas.”
Comment by The Sanity Inspector on 12/31 @ 4:17 pm #
After many tedious years of overusage, at least “jumped the shark” seems to have finally jumped the shark.
Comment by Jim in KC on 12/31 @ 4:28 pm #
Jeffersonian–I got some Sham-Wows! for Christmas. Seems the better half’s resistance to sales pitches by low-rent Jim Carrey wannabes is fatally low. Not because of the supposed glory of the product, but the ridiculousness of the spectacle, I suspect.
I can’t wait to try them out.
Comment by Jim in KC on 12/31 @ 4:30 pm #
On topic: grim milestone has become wearisome.
Comment by Big D on 12/31 @ 4:42 pm #
“Bipartisan solutions” and “Reaching across the aisle.”
Comment by Bob Reed on 12/31 @ 4:46 pm #
How about the Democrat’s, and MSNBC’s, usage of “post-partisan”…Perhaps no greater lie has ever been spoken…
Comment by Big D on 12/31 @ 4:49 pm #
Any comment by assclown or parsnip. A whole year without that would be a good year indeed.
Comment by JohnAnnArbor on 12/31 @ 4:52 pm #
Or “non-partisan.”
Comment by Big D on 12/31 @ 4:54 pm #
The phrase “Jeff is on hiatus.”
Comment by MAJ (P) John on 12/31 @ 4:56 pm #
The lazy use of “resurgent” by Reuters and AP.
Comment by JohnAnnArbor on 12/31 @ 5:01 pm #
“Militants.”
Comment by bigbooner on 12/31 @ 5:04 pm #
Redumblican.
Comment by MAJ (P) John on 12/31 @ 5:04 pm #
Oh, and I am pretty sure I won’t hear any “incoming” this year. That will be good.
Comment by Mossberg500 on 12/31 @ 5:09 pm #
“Ron Burgundy”, “Ric Caric” and the astroturf specialist, Neil “Kneel” Masters.
Comment by JJ on 12/31 @ 5:31 pm #
AWFUL – Americans who figuratively use literally
Comment by kingaljr on 12/31 @ 6:37 pm #
Senator Franken.
Comment by N. O'Brain on 12/31 @ 6:42 pm #
One word I’d love never to hear again?
thor
Comment by Nine-of-Diamonds on 12/31 @ 7:04 pm #
““You know†– I od’d on this phrase after Princess Caroline’s interviews. Who knew a 51 y/o Manhattanite was a Valley Girl?”
I am telling you – that transcript made me cringe. I’m starting to get over my own issues with public speaking & I genuinely feel badly for someone who’s so awful at it. No matter – the NYT calls her “ELOQUENT BUT ELUSIVE!”
Comment by daleyrocks on 12/31 @ 7:11 pm #
False dichotomy – Seems to be thrown around with abandondon but without a whole lot of thinking by those on the left on the intartubes.
Comment by J2 on 12/31 @ 7:38 pm #
“stellar”; stop, please.
Comment by dicentra on 12/31 @ 8:06 pm #
“Intentionalism”
Wait…
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 12/31 @ 8:59 pm #
“Whisperer”.
I’m really surprised that there isn’t a TV obgyn called “The Vagina Whisperer” by now.
Comment by Sticky B on 12/31 @ 9:54 pm #
Wetspot.
Ok…..maybe it’s just me.
Comment by McGehee on 12/31 @ 10:24 pm #
What I’d love not to hear in 2009 is anything containing the words “2012″ and “election,” “campaign,” or “primaries.”
Comment by Big D on 1/1 @ 12:53 am #
Low Sodium Bacon
Decafeinated Coffee
Non Alcoholic Beer
WTF is the point?
Comment by Jim C. on 1/1 @ 1:08 am #
MadTV. Literally! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMhBhKUQM9w
Comment by Big D on 1/1 @ 1:11 am #
Sorry for # 35. Mrs D has been shopping and apparently has things in mind for Big D.
Back OT – “Moderate”
Comment by geoffb on 1/1 @ 2:20 am #
Please let “peace process” never again be uttered.
I’d also not mind never hearing the name Jimmy Carter.
Comment by Ric Locke on 1/1 @ 9:38 am #
Immortality for masochists. You get to live forever, and hate every minute of it.
Regards,
Ric
Comment by Sdferr on 1/1 @ 9:45 am #
I could do without the phrase (often used by tv newspeople) “that begs the question” when they mean to say “I want to ask another (different) question.”
Comment by serr8d on 1/1 @ 9:51 am #
Anything written or spoken by Mary Angelou.
Comment by Mossberg500 on 1/1 @ 11:49 am #
Billy Mays here. Is it wrong to wish Billy Mays poisons himself with one of the products that he’s hawking?
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 1/1 @ 11:56 am #
That one irritates me, too, sdferr, but I think that battle has been lost.
Comment by Sdferr on 1/1 @ 12:38 pm #
Maybe we should write up a simple precis as to why using the phrase makes them seem so stupid and then send it out by e-mail to the various offenders, SBP? They might voluntarily give it up if they had a clue. The problem with my stupid suggestion, I’ll note aforehand, is that I doubt I could find the motivation to bestir myself, let alone anyone else, since laughing at the fuckers is very nearly worth the freight of putting up with the dunce-itude.
Comment by Mikey NTH on 1/1 @ 1:14 pm #
Proportionate/disproportionate response. Uttered/written by those who aren’t under fire or have any responsibilities in determining what sort of response will be given to an attack/provocation.
Comment by Mikey NTH on 1/1 @ 1:16 pm #
Billy Mays is the new Ron Popeil. Only he can’t make a vinyl cartop look like new.*
*If you order now you get a free bamboo steamer!
Comment by miriam on 1/2 @ 10:15 pm #
President-elect in the sense of Crown Prince. There’s an office of the P-Elect. Next I suppose they’ll have their own office building, with a statue of the Great One in front. Maybe a fountain. Yes, definitely a fountain, like the pissing fountains in Belgium. A little park, with picnic benches.
Comment by ed on 1/3 @ 1:39 am #
How about people using “then” when they should have used “than?”
Comment by assclown on 1/3 @ 1:44 am #
liberal bias