It’s always a fun part of the end of a year to read the list of “banned words” issued by Lake Superior State University.

LSSU, located in the eastern Upper Peninsula, draws international attention for bringing together what it calls The List of Words to be Banished from the Queen’s English for Misuse, Overuse and Uselessness.

Since the list started in 1976, more than 800 words have been added. The public offers submissions and LSSU annually picks some dandies to be included.

This year’s set is no exception and in case you missed it includes:

– Bae

– Polar vortex

– Hack

– Skill set

– Swag

– Foodie

– Curate/curated

– Friend-raising

– Cra-cra

– Enhanced interrogation

– Takeaway

– Nation

Some of the above might not be familiar to all. Bae, for instance, is a term of endearment and was featured in a song by 2014 hitmaker Pharrell Williams: “Come Get it Bae.”

On the other hand, anyone who survived the vicious winter of 2013-14 must have heard the words polar vortex an amazing number of times.

It seemed to be a nightly weather phrase through the bitterly cold months of last winter.

As the LSSU website explains (www.lssu.edu/banished), the university “got a head start” on this term when its 44th annual Snowman Burning featured a snowman named Mr. Polar Vortex.

As one contributor said on the website: “Enough with the over-sensationalized words to describe weather!”

While the list is issued in the spirit of fun, behind it lies a principal we all should remember: Words have value and language matters.

So next time you plan to use your “skill set” to show your “bae” you’re “cra-cra” for her by gathering some “swag,” LSSU’s list should be a reminder to keep it simple and classic and just say “I love you,” words that will never make the banned list.