“As great minds have the faculty of saying a great deal in a few words, so lesser minds have a talent of talking much, and saying nothing.” — Francois de la Rochefoucauld
Hello, fellow word nerd.
If you’ve been paying attention so far this year, you may have seen the 2023 Banished Words List. It’s an annual tradition started by a kindred spirit that Lake Superior State University carries on.
If you’d like some history on how this came to be and who brought it to life, I’ve got an interview with the creator’s son:
The Fascinating Origins of the Banished Word List
Odds are that if you’re a fellow word nerd, you’ve already seen the news of the 2022 Banished Words List.
Thanks to the generous spirit of John Rabe, longtime host of Off-Ramp on KPCC, we discover how his father came to create the Banished Words List.
Meanwhile, for the rest of us who want to know which of our friends require needling, here’s the 2023 version of the annual List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-Use, Over-Use, and General Uselessness.
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