What words are you banishing for the new year?

Each year, Lake Superior State University publishes its “Banished Words” list. Not surprisingly the words “green” and “maverick” made the cut for 2009, as did “staycation.” (Perhaps that one belongs on the dumbest-ever words list!)

But what tired, overused words should you banish this year?

Not sure?

• Read through your marcom materials and highlight the redundancies, then banish them for at least part of the year.
• Create a substitution list that has alternate words and phrases for the banished words.
• Ask an impartial observer to review your copy and identify words with banishment potential.
• Hire someone to refresh your copy.

Here are a few I’d like to see make everyone’s banished words list:

• workplace of choice
• outsourced
• bandwidth
• outside the box
• bulletize
• warm fuzzy
• paradigm shift
• emotional quotient
• at the end of the day
• core competencies

By JanO on 1/3/09, In writing, Tags advice, buzzwords, fun to know, great copy, lake superior state university, overused words, relevant copy, writing mistakes