it's that time of year again.. NOT!

you've probably never heard of the Lake Superior State University, and probably never will either. one of its claims to fame is that its on the northernmost tip of Michigan before Canada at Sault Sainte Marie. the other is the annual 'Banished Words List'..

"Each new year brings another installment of the school's List of Words and Phrases Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness. It has been going strong since 1976 and receives significant media coverage. Word-watchers pull nominations throughout the year from everyday speech, as well as from the news, fields of education, technology, advertising, politics, and more. A committee gathers the entries and chooses the best in December. The list is released on New Year's Day." - From Wiki.

the words to be banned from 2008 are:

Environmental buzzwords are getting the axe this year - GREEN, CARBON FOOTPRINT or CARBON OFFSETTING
Presidential election years are always ripe for language abuse - MAVERICK, FIRST DUDE
Of course, the economy couldn't escape the list this year - BAILOUT, WALL STREET/MAIN STREET
Internet and texting blues - MONKEY, <3
Overuse in news and entertainment - ICON or ICONIC, GAME CHANGER, STAYCATION, DESPERATE SEARCH, NOT SO MUCH, WINNER OF FIVE NOMINATIONS, IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN