glossary of eyerolls

November 21st, 2010

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A couple of weeks ago the sucky New Oxford American Dictionary named Sarah Palin’s twitter flub refudiate their word of the year. I worked in PR for a long time, so I recognize their stunt as little more than the low art of self-promotion, as shameless as rigging a ballroom dance contest to inflame controversy and fuel TV ratings. The dictionary folks are just trying to sell more dictionaries, even as they undermine the relevance of dictionaries. As a whiny writer, I’d prefer that language be transparent, aligned with authenticity and siloed from crowdsource trending, but I’m not going to make a manifesto out of it. Instead, I’m putting together this little list of rogue words that optimize my eyeball orbit – words I’d be happy never hearing again – and I invite you to mashup with me.

What are some words of the year you’d like to refudiate? Do a Kanye, and afterwords we can all be more zenlike.

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14 Comments »

  1. on my list …
    brainstorm
    monetize
    e-book
    poke
    ping
    “friending”
    “un-friending”
    white paper
    badge
    audacity

    Comment by Frances B. — November 21, 2010 @ 11:42 pm

  2. I’m all for new words coming into the language. It has been happening forever. But it is way more natural, and fun, when it comes from slang — or the street — than having our new words derived from abstractions created in the business or PR worlds.

    Comment by Neil — November 22, 2010 @ 12:36 am

  3. For me?
    stakeholder
    lactivist

    Comment by Ines — November 22, 2010 @ 4:54 pm

  4. […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Sara Blackthorne, Karen Maezen Miller. Karen Maezen Miller said: Refudiate? Crowdsource? Zenlike? Add the words you never want to hear again to my Glossary of Eyerolls http://bit.ly/9WDbdV […]

    Pingback by Tweets that mention glossary of eyerolls | Karen Maezen Miller's Cheerio Road -- Topsy.com — November 22, 2010 @ 5:16 pm

  5. im seriously lol-ing over this. seriously.

    Comment by latisha — November 22, 2010 @ 8:34 pm

  6. Some phrases that I’m tired of:

    No way. (And therefore–Way!)
    Just do it.
    WTF?

    Names I’m tired of:
    Glenn Beck
    Sarah Palin
    Hitler
    Nazi
    Mel Gibson

    Words I’m tired of:
    right-wingers
    high-tech
    green
    recession

    Comment by Angel C. — November 22, 2010 @ 8:49 pm

  7. LUG (Lesbian until graduation), as if being gay is something college women simply try on, and if they don’t like it, they can return to their regularly scheduled program of straight life.

    Any abbreviation used to make sending a text message easier for the person already too lazy to have a real conversation with someone, particularly “brb.” Be right back from where? The face-to-face interaction they should be having in the first place?

    Finally, “proactive.” Is that like pro-life? Who isn’t proactive, then? And what’s wrong with “initiative”?

    Comment by ashley — November 22, 2010 @ 9:06 pm

  8. “No problem”

    ‘connectivity’ was also on my list.

    Social media

    Opinion maker

    pundit

    Right-size

    lamestream media

    Comment by Laura — November 22, 2010 @ 10:56 pm

  9. Soccer Mom
    Mama Grizzly
    Red state blue state

    Comment by Laura — November 23, 2010 @ 12:59 am

  10. Refudiate arose organically, as unaesthetic as it is.

    I believe that a flexibility of usage and vocabulary is one of Englishes strengths.

    That said if I never heard office used as a verb (first heard by me on an ad on NPR, no doubt written by PR) I would be pleasantly surprised.

    Comment by chris — November 23, 2010 @ 4:16 am

  11. Haha. This gave me a really good chuckle.

    As for my list:

    viral
    monetize
    digitize
    app
    branding (makes me think of the hot irons used to brand livestock, ouch!)
    red and blue (when used in place of political affiliations)

    Yep, rather short list for me.

    Comment by Rebekah — November 23, 2010 @ 8:36 pm

  12. I got a kick out of this post, too!!!

    I am the last one to boycott Facebook, I think. (It’s a gigantic clique!) And I’m too stingy to buy a plan that allows unlimited texting. I don’t have time to watch TV or read the paper, as I’d rather be with my young child.
    So I don’t get much exposure to … well, much of the aforementioned lists. While I could be embarrassed by this, I guess I’ll consider myself lucky that there aren’t many words of which I have grown tiresome. I’m just excited to converse with adults once in a while!!
    I do love reading everyone’s lists… they’re funny! thanks for sharing them!

    Comment by char — November 25, 2010 @ 6:21 am

  13. My word is twitter. I cringe at the very mention of it. But it’s a personal thing. I can’t imagine why, why, anyone would share in that way. I would like to hear the word twitter and have it be spoken about a bird sound.

    Comment by Kim — November 26, 2010 @ 1:24 am

  14. Got a real kick out of this post and replies.

    My list consists of most “words” in the, I guess you would say the “hip hop” world.

    the schniz
    booty
    booty call
    “word”
    gangsta
    the hood
    my crib
    s’up?

    and so on!

    Comment by Debbie — November 28, 2010 @ 5:04 pm

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