A view of Lake Superior State University’s campus in Sault Ste. Marie is shown. LSSU has compiled an annual Banished Words List since 1976 to uphold, protect, and support excellence in language by encouraging everyone to avoid words and terms that are overused, redundant, oxymoronic, cliched, illogical, nonsensical - and otherwise ineffective, baffling or irritating. The deadline to submit entries for consideration for banishment for 2021 is 8 a.m. Eastern Standard Time Nov. 30. (Courtesy photo)

SAULT STE. MARIE – Listen up! Memo in the public interest: wordsmiths, eschew yadda, yadda, yadda.

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Simply stated, all of the above words and phrases-along with the two-word expression that begins this sentence have been banished by Lake Superior State University at some point since the mid-1970s.

Why? Because LSSU has compiled an annual Banished Words List since 1976 to uphold, protect, and support excellence in language by encouraging everyone to avoid words and terms that are overused, redundant, oxymoronic, cliched, illogical, nonsensical – and otherwise ineffective, baffling or irritating.

The deadline to submit entries for consideration for banishment for 2021 is 8 a.m. Eastern Standard Time Nov. 30.

Entries can be submitted to lssu.edu/banishedwords2021.

“It’s our tradition to publish the world-famous Banished Words List on Dec. 31 so that people don’t begin the New Year by putting their foot in their mouth,” said LSSU President Dr. Rodney S. Hanley. “No-brainer – which also made our list in the past.”

For more information about LSSU’s Banished Words List, visit lssu.edu/traditions/banishedwords/.