alignment
analytics
app
authenticity
bandwidth
betcha
bipartisan
branding
bristol
charter
connectivity crowdsourcing earmark eyeroll fail grizzly hashtag hater influencer kanye kardashian launch manifesto mashup meh optimization palin platform rogue silo smackdown socialist sucky summit tea trending transparency viral zenlike
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.
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
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
For me?
stakeholder
lactivist
Comment by Ines — November 22, 2010 @ 4:54 pm
[…] 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
im seriously lol-ing over this. seriously.
Comment by latisha — November 22, 2010 @ 8:34 pm
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
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
“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
Soccer Mom
Mama Grizzly
Red state blue state
Comment by Laura — November 23, 2010 @ 12:59 am
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
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
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
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
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