LSSU releases 2022 Banished Words list

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. (WILX) - Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie has released its annual tongue-in-cheek Banished Words list for 2022.

The list is not limited to single words but includes terms that are also banned for the upcoming year.

More than 1,000 of the 1,250-plus nominations of words and terms for banishment for misuse, overuse, and uselessness for 2022 were conversational. Most major US cities, many US states, numerous provinces in Canada, and several countries – including Australia, Belgium, England, Norway, and Scotland – submitted nominations.

The winners (or losers?) are:

Wait, what?
No worries
At the end of the day
That being said
Asking for a friend
Circle back
Deep dive
New normal
You’re on mute
Supply chain

“Say what you mean and mean what you say. Can’t get any easier, or harder, than that,” said LSSU President Dr. Rodney S. Hanley. “Every year submitters play hard at suggesting what words and terms to banish by paying close attention to what humanity utters and writes. Taking a deep dive at the end of the day and then circling back make perfect sense. Wait, what?”

Since 1976, LSSU has compiled the annual list to “uphold, protect, and support excellence in language by encouraging avoidance of words and terms that are overworked, redundant, oxymoronic, cliched, illogical, nonsensical, and otherwise ineffective, baffling, or irritating.

For a list of reasons for banishment, click HERE.