'Bae,' 'Polar Vortex' and Other Words That Should Be Banished

The faculty and staff at Lake Superior State University have been compiling a list of words to be banished since 1976. (Facebook photo)

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Saving the Queen’s English from further bastardization, a Michigan university has once again offered its list of words and phrases we just shouldn’t say.

Ever.

One of the top submissions on Lake Superior State University’s 40th Annual List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-Use, Over-Ue and General Uselessness is the word “bae,” text shorthand for “before anyone else” that has wormed its way into spoken conversation – annoyingly so, it seems.

“How stupid! Stop calling your boyfriend ‘bae,’ ” Ervie Dunagan of Manheim, PA, said in her submission for the 2014 list, which will become part of an archive of more than 800 words that have been suggested for banishment since former LSSU public relations director started the list of words that annoyed him and his friends.

The tradition started by the late W.T. Rabe, who put together the first list of words people love to hate at a New Year’s Eve party in 1975, has been continued by LSSU faculty and staff. The list, first published on jan. 1, 1976, is based entirely upon nominations from around the world.

If “bae” is a too-cute way to refer to your boyfriend, don’t even think about using it to refer to ramen noodles, says S. Thoms of Sault Ste. Marie, MI. She wins the understatement-of-the-year award with her comment:

“It’s overused.”

Misuse of the word to describe the college dorm food staple aside, Thoms offered this: “If I was putting someone ‘before anything else,’ I would respect them enough to use their name.’ ”

Tell Us:

• What words do you never want to hear again?

And if by bae, you really mean “babe,” take the extra time – which is no time at all – to add another consonant, k?

“I’d rather be called ‘babe’ than ‘bae’ any day,” said Alexsis Outwater of Bronson, MI.

Flush the Polar Vortex

Another phrase we should all forget we ever heard is “polar vortex.” The phrase got a blizzard of nominations criticizing its use as an overly sensationalized, fright-inducing and poorly chosen synonym for what used to be called winter.

“What happened to ‘cold snap’?” Trevor Fenton of Edinburgh, UK, panned. “Not descriptive enough?”

News Flash: Everybody Likes Food

Michiganders had a strong presence in a chorus of people wanting us to un-hear the word “foodie.”

“It’s ridiculous. Do we call people who like wine ‘winies’ or beer lovers ‘beeries’?” asked Randall Chamberlain of Traverse City.

” ‘Someone who enjoys food’ applies to everyone on Earth. What’s next? ‘Oh, I’m an airie; I just love to breathe.’ ‘Could we do it at 11, instead? I’m kind of a sleepie.’ “ said Andy Poe of Marquette.

And Steve Szilagyi of Mason added this:

“I’ve heard of cooks and chefs, and gourmets and gourmands, but what the heck is a ‘foodie’? A person who likes food? A person who eats food? A person who knows what food is? Sounds like ‘foodie’ is a synonym for ‘everybody.’ Foodies around the world agree; let’s banish this term.”

Here are some other words you just shouldn’t say in 2015:

Cra-Cra

Just stop it. It’s baby-talk for “crazy.” Use your adult voices and show some compassion for mentally ill people. Patch editorial comment aside, Steve Kaufman of Houston, TX, said this:

“I’ve only heard it twice and already know by the end of the year I’ll want to scream.”

Hack

“Suddenly things that once would have been called ‘tips’ are now being called ‘hacks,’” Sharla Hulsey of Sac City, IA, said. “It can’t be because the one word is shorter or easier to say; and the actual accepted meanings of ‘hack’ have nothing to do with suggestions for doing tasks better or more efficiently – quite the opposite, really.”

Skill Set

“A skill is a skill – that is it. Phrases such as ‘I have the skill set to do that properly’ or anything resembling that phrase, shows the speaker is seriously lacking skills in the art of conversation,” Stephanie Hamm-Wieczkiewicz of Litfield Park, AZ, said. “Please try this, ‘I have the skill ... Do you have the skills ... This requires certain skills ... He is very skilled ... That was a skillful maneuve r... See? No need for a skill set.”

Enhanced Interrogation

“A shameful euphemism for torture,” said David Bristol of Byron Center, MI.

-Nation

“Although a devout Wisconsin sports fan, I do not belong to Packer-Nation, Badger-Nation, Phoenix-Nation, or Brewer-Nation. Further, I am not aware of any team or mascot that has the carrying capacity to be a nation,” said Kelly Frawley of Waunakee, WI.

• There are more. Read the full list here.