More Than Seven Words You Can't Say...

December 31, 2004 9:20 PM

New Year's Tradition: Banishing Words (yes, I've done this before) L.S.S.U has been making lists since 1976, but after all the censorship battles of the last year, they probably should be using less threatening terminology than "banished". Still, most of the terminology in this Hall of Shame list certainly deserves to be discouraged, derided and degraded.

Of course, Creative Deity Matt Groening does his own annual list of Forbidden Words, and some webhead has developed a cool webtool: The Forbidden Words Flagger.
posted by wendell (31 comments total)

...and I approve this message.
posted by wendell at 9:22 PM on December 31, 2004

and I approve this message

How many times does it need to be said that phrase is legally required on candidate originated ads? Get over it.
posted by 3.2.3 at 10:23 PM on December 31, 2004

I think "get over it" was on the list about five years back.
posted by RavinDave at 10:36 PM on December 31, 2004

Lake Superior State is dictating the direction of the American lexicon?

Umm, maybe not. Tell it to my little friend, Willis.

We are well on our way to the amalgamated catchphrase.
posted by fenriq at 10:42 PM on December 31, 2004

From 1995 - Liberal.

I officially give up and probably should've done so a decade ago.
posted by Arch Stanton at 10:57 PM on December 31, 2004

"amalgamated catchphrase"
I like it.
I think everyone at MetaFilter should start using that phrase frequently until it makes the Banished Words list.
Better than "nigritude ultramarine"...
posted by wendell at 11:02 PM on December 31, 2004

You are so amalgamated catchphrased....
posted by alteredcarbon at 11:20 PM on December 31, 2004

These are mostly lame, as are the "jokes" made by the people commenting on them.
posted by The God Complex at 12:24 AM on January 1, 2005

"_______gate."

Been getting on my nerves since Irangate. I've read a few of those lists over the years and have not seen it mentioned... even though there have been numerous annoying incantations.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 1:07 AM on January 1, 2005

I've read a few of those lists over the years and have not seen it mentioned... even though there have been numerous annoying incantations.

And have you nominated it to any of those list sites? If you're not part of the pollution, you're part of the pabulum.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:09 AM on January 1, 2005

And have you nominated it to any of those list sites?

Nope. Never had a "nominate me!" type form whack me in the face. Doesn't quite shit me enough to go looking for one. Prefer to be an interested observer seeing people miss the obvious year after year.


If you're not part of the pollution, you're part of the pabulum.

Er. So... do you like... stuff?
posted by uncanny hengeman at 3:39 AM on January 1, 2005

Metafilter: Maybe it’s something that would be stuck in my toilet...
posted by runkelfinker at 5:26 AM on January 1, 2005

Ah, Mr. Wendell. He gives me some knowledge, I buy him some shoes.

Uncanny: Maybe you didn't read all the way to the bottom: LSSU accepts nominations for the List of Banished Words throughout the year.
To submit your nomination for the 2006 list, go to www.lssu.edu/banished.

Thank Bob that "blahhhg" is on there. I hate that word. It is an ugly word, created by people who do not get out of the house regularly. If they did, they would notice their word sounds like "blob" and "blah" and as such has a negative phonic connotation.
posted by Eideteker at 6:28 AM on January 1, 2005

Bling bling. You Go Girl. Whatever.....

Happy 2005!
posted by sdrawkcab at 6:37 AM on January 1, 2005

"_______gate."

That one's been getting on my nerves since Watergate.

However I do really like the elongated phrase for 'meme' - amalgamated catchphrase. [well, that's what *I* took it to mean]
posted by kamylyon at 7:34 AM on January 1, 2005

I see from last year's discussion that the views of some MeFi contributors have been heard with the '-izzleization' listing.

For me, I'd like to see the outlawing of 'if it wasn't for X, I'd be dead or in prison'. Also, a considerable reduction in invitations to Experience would be welcome, for example, as in 'Experience a new dimension of toilet cleaning power'.
posted by biffa at 7:58 AM on January 1, 2005

All Your Amalgamated Catchphrase Are Belong To Us
My Amalgamated Catchphrase Iz Pastede On, Yay
There Is No Amalgamated Catchphrase.
posted by scruss at 8:07 AM on January 1, 2005

My favorite for 2004 (and probably earlier) is "Homicide Bomber" - used primarily by FoxNews as a replacement for "Suicide Bomber", as if the word "suicide" lent an air of dignity (and thus empathy?) to strapping 10 pounds of c-4 to your body and walking into a crowded coffee shop.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:39 AM on January 1, 2005

My favorite for 2004 (and probably earlier) is "Homicide Bomber" - used primarily by FoxNews as a replacement for "Suicide Bomber",

I found it funny how GW Bush would screw this up by dropping the wrong word and calling them "Suiciders".
posted by bobo123 at 8:53 AM on January 1, 2005

Yes Biffa! I hate seeing everything described as an experience. A local foodtown has a big banner outside proclaiming "The Fresh Food Experience".
posted by deafmute at 9:51 AM on January 1, 2005

What word or phrase would you ban?
posted by ericb at 10:11 AM on January 1, 2005

uncanny hengemen: "_______gate."
It was baninated in 1999, which shows how little actual authority the Banished Words List has...

Eideteker, ah yes, the good old days when Arrested Development was a band... Just make sure you spell Wendell right. (And please, Size 10 Extra Wide on those shoes...) :)

Why am I not surprised MSNBC.com made a poll out of this? (regetably, you can only vote for ONE of them.) At last look, "-izzle" is way ahead at 18%, followed by "carbs" and "approve this message" at 9% each, "flip-flop" at 8%, "erectile disfunction" at 7% and "improvised explosive device" tied with "blog" at 6% (but then, aren't the last two closely reated?)
posted by wendell at 10:54 AM on January 1, 2005

Damnit, I knew I should copyrighted Amalgamated Catchphrase before releasing it into the wilds. Now I'll never reap my internets millions off of it.

How hard would it be to create a little web app that would create tasty new amalgamated catchphrases? Feed it a page and it distills the page into one cool sort of metaphrase for the page? I've seen something like this for MeFi comments so I don't think it would be too hard to do.

I'd like a blog (sorry Eldeteker, until something better comes along, blog it is and blog it shall be) that autogenerates amalgamated catchphrases. I think I've got a working title for it too.
posted by fenriq at 12:33 PM on January 1, 2005

biffa, I'm ready for things to not be the "ultimate _____" anymore. Especially when the blank is a stupid and bad kid's movie or toy.
posted by fenriq at 12:35 PM on January 1, 2005

Metafilter: The antepenultimate experience!
posted by SteelyDuran at 12:55 PM on January 1, 2005

I'd like to see the phrase "catastrophic success" struck from the language, for what its worth--unless it's used ironically.
posted by The God Complex at 1:47 PM on January 1, 2005

____ is the new ____.
posted by quonsar at 7:26 PM on January 1, 2005

You're just afraid of 'kwantsar is the new quonsar'.
posted by biffa at 1:11 AM on January 2, 2005

fenriq: I call mine a webjournal, but I can't help but feel that I sound a bit fruity and pseudointellectual doing so. But you won't catch me abbreviating it "bjou", because I at least admit it looks stupid.

To the uninitiated, I just tell them I post to my website, which is usually enough. Thankfully, none of my family have used the 'b' word yet.
posted by Eideteker at 2:57 AM on January 2, 2005

Er, I dunno if it was deleted or if I only hit Preview and then forgot to Post...

But thanks (again), Wendell.

Interestingly, it doesn't appear on the "Complete List of Banished Words" from the same university.

Some complete list, huh?
posted by uncanny hengeman at 3:11 AM on January 2, 2005

On "All-new" submitter Greg Ellis of Bellevue, WA comments "There are no partially-new episodes...." Apparently Greg Ellis has never seen that TV abomination known as the clip show.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 4:33 PM on January 2, 2005