Banned Words of 2006

Ithought i'd share this amusing article with you all. I must say, some of the words they want banned such as "person of interest", i use often in my line of work so i'd be sorry to see that one go. I also like the word "surreal". I won't be sorry to see "dawg" and "hunker down" gone. So what do you think?

A UNIVERSITY has issued its annual list of annoying phrases and words that should be banned from the English language, with "person of interest" and "97 per cent fat-free" among this year's winners.The 2006 List of Words and Phrases Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness was released at the weekend by Lake Superior State University.
A university committee selected the 17-word list, which was whittled down from almost 2000 nominations.
The university in northern Michigan has been compiling the list since 1976 as a way to attract publicity. Among the nearly 800 words banned so far are "metrosexual" (2004), "baby boomers" (1989) and "detente" (1976).
Heading into 2006, the committee targeted such linguistic gems as "hunker down", which it noted is used by media "in reports about everything from politics to hurricanes".
Also frequently heard on the news is "person of interest", a favourite of law enforcement agencies. Such a person is "seldom encountered at cocktail parties", the list's authors noted.

Not all the words came from the evening news, however. "Community of learners" is a phrase from the field of education. "Not to be confused with 'school'," Indiana critic Jim Howard wrote.
Politics offered plenty of fodder for the list. The committee cited "up-or-down vote", a phrase uttered often in 2005 by Republicans eager to see US President George W. Bush's judicial nominees move quickly through the Senate, without the threat of a Democratic filibuster - a technique used to stall debate on an issue.
The committee also banished "FEMA", the acronym for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, of which the operations in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina were widely criticised as ineffective.
"If they don't do anything, we don't need their acronym," wrote Arizona resident Josh Hamilton.
Many of the phrases banned this year are not new, but simply got under enough people's skin to finally deserve the dubious honour.
Florida man Miguel McCormick, was fed up with "first-time caller", a designation heard on talk radio.
"I am serious in asking: Who in any universe gives a care?" he asked.


The list of the banned words and phrases for 2006:
Surreal
hunker down
person of interest
community of learners
up-or-down vote
breaking news
designer breed
FEMA
first-time caller
pass the savings on to you
97 per cent fat-free
an accident that didn't have to happen
junk science
dawg
talking points
holiday tree

from News.com.au

till next time, Michelle.