'Banished' words: 'Bae,' 'swag,' 'polar vortex'

Odd_News ^ | Dec. 31, 2014 | Ben Hooper

[Brother Cracker]

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich.,- A Michigan university said its 40th annual list of "banished" words includes "bae," "polar vortex," "hack," "skill set," "swag," and "foodie."

Lake Superior State University said its annual "List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness" was chosen by members of a committee from submissions by the public.

Topping the list this year was "bae," a term of endearment that came into common use this year. "Meaning 'before anyone else.' How stupid! Stop calling your boyfriend 'bae,'" Evie Dunagan of Manheim, Pa., wrote in submitting the word for banishment.

LSSU said it got a head start on banishing the word "Polar Vortex" in the spring, when students "burned" a snowman named "Mr. Polar Vortex."

The school said the word "hack" was banished for "over-use and misuse" stemming from the popularity of tips and tricks dubbed "life hacks."

"Suddenly things that once would have been called 'tips' are now being called 'hacks.' It can't be because the one word is shorter or easier to say; and the actual accepted meanings of 'hack' have nothing to do with suggestions for doing tasks better or more efficiently -- quite the opposite, really," wrote submitter Sharla Hulsey of Sac City, Iowa.

The school said it is finally adding "swag" to the list after receiving numerous nominations during the past few years.

Other words making this year's list include "skill set," "foodie," "curate," "friend-raising," "cra-cra," "enhanced interrogation," "takeaway," and "nation" used as a suffix by sports fans.

[M1903A1]

Ah, I was wondering if I was the only one whose first thought on seeing “bae” was “British Aerospace???”.

[longfellowsmuse]

You are aware that bae is the Danish word for poop?

[Excellence]

“Alot” instead of “a lot.” I never know whether to correct or not. I don’t want FReepers to look like idiots, but don’t want to offend either.

[windcliff]

No swag for you.

[onedoug]

“Swag” is the uniform stuff one gets playing high school sports. I’m in my fourth coaching season, and I’ve got lots of swag!

[Fightin Whitey]

Same reason an old wrangler is still called a cowboy!

[Cvengr]

I nominate “BLUF”.

“SWAG”(Simple Wild A**ed Guess) and “Skill Set” still have valuable meaning in project management.

However, SWAG meaning varies. Here’s a list of possible meanings

SWAG Scientific Wild Ass Guess
SWAG Stuff We All Get
SWAG Sourceware Archive Group (Pascal program sources)
SWAG Semantic Web Agreement Group
SWAG Special Warfare Group (Philippine Navy)
SWAG Silly Wild Ass(ed) Guess
SWAG Stolen Without A Gun
SWAG Studies in Women and Gender
SWAG Software and Giveaways
SWAG Southern Women Aging Gracefully(book by M R Thompson)
SWAG Souvenirs, Wearables And Gifts
SWAG Super Wild Ass Guess
SWAG Stupid Wild-Ass Guess
SWAG Sealed with A Gift
SWAG Sophisticated Wild Ass Guess
SWAG Something We Asians Got
SWAG Stolen While At Gig
SWAG International and National Snow, Weather and Avalanche Observation and Recording Guidelines
SWAG Some Wild-Ass Guess
SWAG Standard Written Agreement
SWAG Sold Without A Guarantee
SWAG Still Wondering and Guessing
SWAG Southern Whippets and Gazehounds
SWAG Shock Wave Generator
SWAG Something We Africans Got
SWAG Simulated Waste Access to Ground Water
SWAG Swinging Wild Ass Guess
SWAG Stuff We Acquired Gratis
SWAG Smart Wild Ass Guess
SWAG Sour Water And Gas
SWAG Southwest Ag, Inc (Bayfield, CO)
SWAG Senior Women Are Great (student group; various)
SWAG Stuff We Are Given
SWAG Strong Wise Accomplished Gentlemen
SWAG Semi Wild Ass Guess
SWAG So We Are Gangsta
SWAG So We Are Gone
SWAG Single White and Gay
SWAG Sleeping with a Ginger
SWAG Sleeping with a Girl (Dominance song)
SWAG Salesmen with a Gift
SWAG Satan’s Wishes Are Granted
SWAG Satisfied Women Aging Gracefully
SWAG Saved with Amazing Grace
SWAG Silver, Wine, Art & Gold
SWAG Simple Wireless Authenticated Gateway
SWAG Simply We Are Gay
SWAG Seriously Wild-Ass Guess
SWAG Sex with a Girl
SWAG Sex with a Goat
SWAG Sex Workers Action Group
SWAG Sexy White American Guy
SWAG Sexy with A Bit of Gangster
SWAG Sexy, Wild and Gay
SWAG She Wants a Gentleman
SWAG She Wants a Ginger
SWAG Secreatly We Are Girls
SWAG Secretly Walking Around Gay
SWAG Secretly We Are Gay
SWAG Secretly We Are Great
SWAG Secretly Weird and Gay
SWAG Secretly with a Guy
SWAG Souvenirs, Wearables, Accessories, & Gifts (Eclipse)
SWAG Still without a Girl
SWAG Still without a Girlfriend
SWAG Spiritual Wisdom and Godliness
SWAG Sorry We Are Gay
SWAG Something We Airbenders Got
SWAG Something We All Got
SWAG Something We Americans Got
SWAG Something We Animals Got
SWAG Something We Antillians Got
SWAG Something We Arabs Got
SWAG Something We Artists Got
SWAG Someone Who Acts Gay
SWAG Someone Who Admires God
SWAG Someone Who Adores God
SWAG Someone Who’s Apparently Gay
SWAG Something We Aboriginals Got
SWAG Something We Athletes Got
SWAG Something We Aussies Got
SWAG Something We Austrailans Got
SWAG Something White Ain’t Got
SWAG Students with a Gift
SWAG Students with Average Grades
SWAG Stop Waving at George
SWAG Strengthen When Adversity Grows
SWAG Stuff with a Graphic
SWAG Stuff We Americans Got
SWAG Super Wealthy and Gangsta Boyz (band; Chicago, IL)
SWAG Sweet Weird Awesome Goal

[Blue Collar Christian]

At the top of your game, as expected.

Happy New Year Laz!

[Blue Collar Christian]

I would have said I could of just said shoulduh.

[TruthWillWin]

Add “win win” and “at the end of the day” to the banned list.

[dainbramaged]

They could bury the word “dude” for all time.

[Jamestown1630]

Does anyone know when/how the term, “I know, right?” originated?

It’s creepy how the first couple of times you hear something like that it takes you back; and then, insidiously, it becomes “normal”...

-JT

[Georgia Girl 2]

I hate Polar Vortex. Bring back Artic Express! :-)

[seowulf]

It seems that to use tip instead suggestion is a much used but slang word that should have been banned by at least 1846.

Slang definitions & phrases for tip

tip
noun

: our tip to him would be to behave (1845+)
verb

(also tip off) To give useful information or advice, esp advance information that gives an advantage of some sort: The room clerk tipped him/ Who tipped Larkin off? (1749+, variant 1891+)

[origin uncertain; perhaps fr the notion of tipping, that is, tilting something in someone's direction]

The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D. Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.

[morphing libertarian]

You would not have any blues or R&B songs without the word babe, girl would be second.

[Brother Cracker]

It seems that we language bloggers haven't been holding our end up on this one. Back in 2007, Dave's Midlife Blog looked in vain on Language Log and Language Hat for an analysis of the phrase that Jeremy uses in the last panel:

When the phrase “I know” is used in English […], it signifies assent and acceptance of the point of view of a conversational partner. It’s a fairly confident assertion of acknowledgement, of agreement.

On the other hand, the questioning “right?” stuck onto the end of a sentence is a request of affirmation of an assertion and a simultaneous invitation to disagreement. Right? Don’t you think so? Do you agree with me?

So when a young speaker (and I’ve only heard this phrase used by speakers under the age of 25) combines the two, it seems to be a simultaneous assertion of confidence and an instant pulling back of that confidence so as not to seem too pushy. It seems to ask for a continuation of the conversation. If the interlocutors continue the conversation, it may branch into areas of disagreement, but so far they are of the same mind.

[Patriot777]

Add “twerk” to that list, thank you very much~

[al_c]

You win!

[Captain Peter Blood]

Awesome makes the top of my list.

[Organic Panic]

Adding “I” or “eco” before anything should be a crime.

Banish “sustainable”