Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2007

It would be "awesome" if "TomKat" "went missing"

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Wed Jan 3, 2007 8:09 AM ET
By Andrew Stern

CHICAGO, Dec 31 (Reuters Life!) - It would be "awesome" if "TomKat" and
other combined nicknames for celebrity couples "went missing" in the
New Year, a Michigan university said on Sunday in its annual list of
cliches deserving banishment.

Lake Superior State University's 32nd annual List of Words Banished
from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness
featured such linguistic gems as "Gitmo" for the U.S. base in
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; euphemisms such as "undocumented alien;" and such
Internet-inflected synonyms as "pwn," as in the phrase "I pwn (own)
you."

The Sault St. Marie, Michigan, university's public relations staff
culled its list of 16 cliches from 4,500 submissions, many of which
demanded that something be done to stop the onslaught of the word
"awesome."

"Overused and meaningless," complained contributor Robert Bron, writing
to the list-makers from Pattaya, Thailand. "'My mother was hit by a
car.' Awesome. 'I just got my college degree.' Awesome."

The list gave short shrift to media shorthand for celebrity duos such
as "TomKat," for the union of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, and
"Brangelina," for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

How would "Lardy" have sounded as a nickname for long-ago comedians
Laurel and Hardy, or "BogCall" for Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall,
the list's compilers asked.

Media bashers also welcomed banishment of the phrases "gone missing" or
"went missing."

"It makes 'missing' sound like a place you can visit, such as the
Poconos," wrote contributor Robin Dennis of Flower Mound, Texas.

The same goes for a robbery "gone bad," which raises the question of
whether a theft could go well and good, the list-makers said.
Similarly, reporters covering the immigration issue should try again
after coming up with "undocumented alien," which was compared to
euphemistically calling a drug dealer an "undocumented pharmacist."

The list also decried the use in everyday speech of the Internet
typographical error "pwn," as used when a game-player tells his
defeated opponent "I pwn you," instead of own you.

"Truthiness," popularized by comedian Stephen Colbert as truth
unencumbered by the facts may have been named one of the top U.S.
television buzzwords of the year in August by Global Language Monitor.
But on this list, it has overstayed its welcome.

The list also suggested that the partners of pregnant women might save
some embarrassment by avoiding, "We're pregnant," when only one of you
is, the list said.

As for those enticing real estate advertisements that "boast" of
amenities, contributor Morris Conklin, writing from Portugal, noted the
ads never say "'the bathroom apologizes for cracked linoleum,' or
'kitchen laments pathetic placement of electrical outlets.'"

Finally, contributor Joy Wiltzius of Fort Collins, Colorado, wanted to
correct the "sounds healthy" comment in reference to a nutritious
lunch, such as a fish sandwich. "If my lunch were healthy, it would
still be swimming somewhere. Grilled and nestled in salad greens, it's
'healthful.'"