LSSU reports that the public has had enough of “green” and its various incarnations. As a Denver commenter told the school: “Companies are less ‘green’ than ever, advertising the fact they are ‘green.’ Is anyone buying this nonsense?” A Philadelphian fed-up with the word is particularly outraged that ‘green’ has become a verb. LSSU also wants to do away with carbon footprint and offsetting.
The protracted presidential election has led to the call to ban “maverick,” the term initially bestowed by doting media on Sen. John McCain that eventually extended to his running mate and seemingly every sentence written about either of the candidates through the summer and fall.
LSSU has also had enough of the Wall St.-Main St. comparison and the word “bailout.” As one commenter asked, “Is it a loan? Is it a purchase of assets by the government? Is it a gift made by the taxpayers?”
Other words and phrases in the cross hairs are “staycation,” “game changer” and the vaunted “iconic.”
We’ll see how those recommendations pan out this year. On the cusp of 2008, the university took aim at several terms that continue to plague us, notably “Black Friday,” “organic” and “post 9/11.”
Maybe they’ll have more luck in 2009.