The Banished Words List for 2025

In going through my old posts, I found one from back in January of 2010 (15 years ago, yikes!) titled "Banned Words List," in which I visited a list published by the faculty and staff of Lake Superior State University, the official name of which is "Words Banished for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness."

I'd long forgotten about LSSU's Banished Words list* until I rediscovered that old post, and was delighted to look it up and find that it's still going strong. Here is the list for 2025, which contains some words and expressions I've not heard ... I guess I move in the wrong circles:

1. Cringe. It's apparently become cringe-worthy through overuse.

2. Game Changer. It seems that since almost every new idea or product is a game changer, the expression no longer means anything. 

3. Era. Apparently, everything popular is enjoying its "era." Who knew? I think the only worthwhile recent use of the word was to name Taylor Swift's phenomenally successful multi-year tour.

4. Dropped. Books, music, and all kinds of unnecessary things are currently being dropped rather than published, released, or offered for sale. This is dumb. I think it should also disappear in its alter ego of "mic drop" to indicate an emphatic conclusion to something. 

5. IYKYK (If You Know, You Know). I agree that this is a useless, irritating, and nonsensical phrase that means nothing. Good riddance.

6. Sorry Not Sorry. A disingenuous, half-hearted apology pretending to be honest.

7. Skibidi. I'd never heard this word before, so I had to look it up. As near as I can tell, it seems to be a meaningless word used to initiate meaningless conversations which lead eventually to brain rot.

8. 100%. This is another expression I hadn't heard much recently, but which has apparently been overused as a term indicating full agreement. The last time I recall hearing it was in the Dr Seuss story "Horton Hatches the Egg," in which Horton the elephant explains why he keeps sitting on the egg by saying, "I meant what I said and I said what I meant - an elephant's faithful, one hundred percent."

9. Utilize. I've hated this one for years. Real People say "use" ... people who want to sound important say "utilize." Please don't say it to me ... I worked in the Pentagon long enough to learn to despise it.

10. Period. It's been used to death to emphasize finality of argument ("I've done all I can, period!").

There are other words and expressions I'd banish, given the power. These include:

- Mandate**. This is constantly used by Republicans to claim that a narrow plurality of the popular vote constitutes justification for proceeding with a radical agenda most people wouldn't support if it was honestly presented. The word is often used not by itself, but with the dishonest adjectives historic, resounding, or decisive.

And,

- MAGA***. If ever a term has been overused, it's this one. Let's just drive a stake in it.  

How about you, Dear Readers? What are the words or expressions you would ban if you had the power? Leave a comment and let the rest of us know.

Have a good day. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

* Which has been published every year since 1976 - 49 years!

** I'm shocked that self-styled GOP "alpha males" would use a term like "mandate," given that it might be interpreted as something horrifyingly gay.

*** Of course, there are a lot of really great take-offs on MAGA, the best of which include "Make Attorneys Get Attorneys" and "My Ass Got Arrested." These can stay.