Attention New Jersey & Nation: Suggested Banned Words For 2022

From our “We Just Want To Be Helpful Department,” here is Lake Superior State University’s annual “banished words” list for 2022.

Their annual list includes words and phrases that should never, ever be used again.

Many of them are actual words and phrases that become annoying over time. Yet, they’re used again and again!

They have done this list every year since 1976, that’s almost 50 years. Each year, they ask the American people to submit both words and phrases that “are misused, overused or have become useless.”

They compiled more than 1,000 suggestions and their Judges pick the 10 most-nominated entries and publish their annual list on December 31st of every year.

This year’s Top Winner (or, actually the top loser) for 2022 is “wait, what?”

Lake Superior State University Marketing and Communications Executive Director Peter Szatmary rationalizes that the phrase itself is an actual contradiction.

“When you think about it, those are two different things,” he says. “And people use it when the actual recipient doesn’t want to wait, and the ‘what’ is a false surprise.”

One of my least favorite phrases, “New Normal” has also been banished.

Szatmary soundly reasons that people who have used the term since the COVID-19 pandemic began have overused it to earn extinction.

“It’s [been] two years,” said Szatmary. “And those people who keep using ‘the new normal’ are thinking about something that is in fact regular.”

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“You’re on mute” also made the cut. Szatmary says there’s no reason to use this phrase anymore.

“As one of our submitters pointed out, we’re two years into remote working and visiting,” “It’s time for everyone to figure out where the ‘mute’ button is,” concluded Szatmary.

Here is the rest of The Top 10 List for 2022:

• “No worries.”
• “That being said.”
• “Asking for a friend.”
• “Circle back.” (also banished in 2002)
• “Deep dive.”
• “Supply chain.”

Szatmary reports that Lake Superior State University already accepting nominations for its coveted 2023 list.

It’s always your choice but, now you know the band words and banished phrases for 2022.

Use them or lose them wisely. It’s up to you.

SOURCE: Lake Superior State University.