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You don’t need quid pro quo to check out banished words

According to a recent story from The Associated Press, quid pro quo has got to go.

That’s according to Lake Superior State University’s 45th annual “List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness.”

Quid pro quo, a centuries-old Latin phrase, means an exchange of favors and led the list from LSSU.

As anyone who pays attention to the news knows, quid pro quo became commonly heard during the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Trump repeatedly declared there was no “quid pro quo” with Ukraine over U.S. military aid to that country and an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden’s son.

The AP story quotes Rodney Hanley, president of LSSU which is in Sault Ste. Marie in the eastern Upper Peninsula thusly: “No quid pro quo was offered during the creation of this meticulously curated list of words.”

The public is invited each year to nominate words and/or phrases that seem tired or annoying. These words come from everyday speech, news coverage and more.

Joining quid pro quo on the latest list are more than a dozen more, including “artisanal,” “influencer,” “living my best life” and “chirp.”

And then there’s “jelly,” short for jealous, and “totes,” a nod to totally.

AP reports that, in a baby boomer revolt, it’s apparently time to scratch “OK, boomer.”

“Boomers may remember, however, that generational tension is always present,” university wordsmiths said. “In fact, it was the boomers who gave us the declaration, ‘Don’t trust anyone over 30!'”

“vibe/vibe check,” “mouthfeel,” “I mean,” “literally” and “curated.”

More than 1,000 banned words or phrases are now in the Lake Superior archive which started with LSSU public relations director W.T. Rabe, who made the first list at a New Year’s Eve party in 1975.

“Since then, the list has consisted entirely of nominations received from around the world throughout the year,” the school said in the AP story.

Are any of your favorites on the list? If not, make a nomination for next year’s roster of words that deserve to be banished: https://www.lssu.edu/banished-words-list/submit-a-word-to-banish/

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