`Surge' makes the banned-words list (AP)

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`Surge' makes the banned-words list

By JEFF KAROUB, Associated Press Writer
Mon Dec 31, 2:56 PM ET

DETROIT - Resist the urge to say you will "wordsmith" your list of New Year's resolutions rather than write one. And don't utter, "It is what it is" when you fail to meet your first goal.

Those are two of the 19 words or phrases that appear in Lake Superior State University's annual List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness. The school in Michigan's Upper Peninsula released its 33rd list Monday, selecting from about 2,000 nominations.

Among this year's picks are "surge," the term for the troop buildup in Iraq. "Give me the old days, when it referenced storms and electrical power," Michael Raczko of Swanton, Ohio, said in nominating the word.

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Lake Superior State University's banished words: http://www.lssu.edu/banished

If truth be told topic

I still despise the word 'truthiness'. What's wrong with the word 'truth'? It is all relative, and yet not related at all!

Why is there a surge of words including 'wordsmith', (a crafty crafter of spinning tall tales), that seem to stick in your craw and then they have to be repeated, spat out, thrown under the bus, creating a perfect storm, however imperfect, and yes, it is what it is, do not blame me. On a similar note, Organic Waterboarding will be the next craze, in this post 9/11 world, as a harmless pastime. A new book, authored by an alumnus of Lake Superior State University, will make Orange Friday the new Black Friday, devoid of religious, emotional content; however random and sweet, it is what it is. I quote: "Back in the day, before Blackberries, we had palm pilots and we were grateful, going back and forth, uphill each way. Now we have the webinar, and we no longer have to navigate a cruel sea, and worry about the pop that could decimate the world".

It is easy to get carried away by the perfect storm.

Truth is what you know with your mind. Truthiness is what you feel with your gut.

It is in the same category as 'utilization'

That being said language changes when enough people use a word to mean the same thing. It has always changed and will continue to change. Victorianism created the myth of traditional standards.

THANK YOU!! !

they should add aspergers and autism to the list too for misuse, over-use and general uselessness

Oooh...The banned word list I'm so scared.

...

Not.

"Surge
Surge
Surge
Surge
Surge
Surge
Surge
Surge
Surge
Surge
Surge
Surge
Surge
Surge
Surge
Surge
Surge"

They must be flooding with tears now.

I'd give em some words to "banish"

C U Next Tuesday would be one, and so on and so forth...

Truth is in the eye of the beholder topic

According to linguistics, truthiness is defined as a word used to describe things that the person wishes to be true (from the gut). Truth is described as what conforms to fact or accepted to be true (from the mind). From a single human being who demosntrates logic and emotion, living in a culture(society).

Both terms are cultural (relative), and what they describe is subject to change without notice.

In my other post I wondered why (literally) use extra letters in a term that is relative and cultural. Stephen Colbert's term truthiness is a tongue in cheek ( truth in cheek) word that is a politically unnecessary redundancy. I Personally do not believe in banning words; it has been posted that words evolve, and quite rightly. Having said this, I will opt to use the word truism (circular platitude)!

Truth and its related truthiness, are indeed, all relative.

Why are you Thanking me? I know what you mean, I guess. I never really got why people say that in that context.

I know we all secretly like to be right some of the time or quite a lot of the time in some cases

Is this a politically motivated post? There were certainly other words you could have posted about. If your motive in posting was a political one, I urge you to don your moderator's hat for a brief moment, and move this thread to the political section.

Not at all, I'm just re-reporting the news as I had found it. Since it's kinda silly news, I put it here instead of in the News.

On second thoughts it is an evil bastardisation. Stop corrupting the Queens English! What is wrong with truthfulness? There is only one absolute truth, everything else is lies...

Hint: You can use more than one word to describe something.

The Queen is mostly German, but we will overlook that. She is probably not a walking dictionary either.

Truth be told, you can do anything you like. Chaucer used a lot of French words. Nobody actually talked like Shakespeare's characters at the time.

The Truth Hurts Topic

Indeed, to thine own self be true, 0_equals_true !

Indeed, there is only one truth: people can and do lie.

Thank goodness (or common sense) that there are many different words to describe something. And because language and by extension, words, do evolve and that there is no standard usage (we have always been aware of this) then words can and do fall out of favour. Stephen Colbert's truth in cheek word truthiness can now be purged, despised and then ignored. But banned? Never.

Here's one that hurts my head. You football fans should be familiar with this (esp. if you listen to Collingsworth or Salisbury):

"He runs well... in space!"

"The kid can tackle... in space!"

"Not much pressure penetrating the pocket, but if you can force Eli out and make him play in space..."

Football. The final frontier.

One I'm sick of hearing, post-9/11