"You're such a good friend, that if we were on a sinking ship
and there was only one life jacket.... I'd miss you heaps
and think of you often."
Words We Could Live Without!.....
Every year Lake Superior State (Michigan) issues a list of words
or phrases that should be banned from the English language.
Here's the list for 2004, along with some edited commentary:z
"X" ...Not really a word, but marketers have grabbed on to it to get
the attention of the Generation X demographic. X-Files, Xtreme, Windows XP, and X-Box are but a few examples.
"Place Stamp Here" ... It appears on 99% of all return envelopes along with the warning that "The Post Office will not deliver without postage." Can we legitimately claim to be a superpower if we need to be reminded about where to put a stamp on an envelope? And if you can't do that, isn't actually paying the bill the least of your worries?
from Cascade_Express(tm)
"Companion Animals" ... Helloooo! They're called *pets.*
"Bling or Bling-Bling" ... This once slang street term for items of luxury has become
so overused your mother might even use it, and nothing could
kill the mystique of a word faster. Bling bling? Hate it. Hate it.
"Embedded Journalist" ...As a matter of objectivity, no journalist should ever be
embedded in any organization on which he or she has
to report. It seems to be a "hip" way of saying "at the
scene." The next time I hear it used by the media, I'm
going to embed my foot in the TV.
"Smoking Gun" ... Let's give the 21-gun salute to this overused analogy.
"Shock and Awe" ... I can't wait until it hits the mainstream, as in "Shock and Awe
Pool Cleaner."
"Captured Alive" ... You ever hear of anyone who has captured dead?
"Shots rang out" ...Shots don't ring unless you're standing too close to the muzzle, and in that case, you don't need a reporter to tell you about it.
"Ripped from the headlines" ... Kicking and screaming, no doubt.
"Sweat like a pig" ...Ummm, pigs don't sweat. That's why they roll in the mud.
To cool themselves.
"Sanitary Landfill" ...Ever been to one? "Sanitary" is not the first word that leaps to mind.
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