The Fascinating Origins of the Banished Word List

Wait, what?

Welcome to “Off the Clock,” a little something that lands somewhere between Timeless & Timely.

I send out this fun look at language and words every other Saturday, exclusively for our community of paying subscribers called the Ampersand Guild. If someone sent this to you, please consider subscribing.

“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

Odds are that if you’re a fellow word nerd, you’ve already seen the news of the 2022 Banished Words List.

I’ll save you the trouble of looking them up. They are:

1. Wait, what?

2. No worries.

3. At the end of the day

4. That being said

5. Asking for a friend

6. Circle back

7. Deep dive

8. New normal

9. You’re on mute

10. Supply chain

Before I get into the wonderful history of this list, I’m going to try to use all of these words in a few sentences.

“Wait, what? No worries, you’re on mute. That being said, let’s circle back and do a deep dive on the new normal. At the end of the day, I’m just asking for a friend.”

But First, Some History

I don’t leave much to chance in this newsletter. That is, I make very deliberate decisions about content. But, thanks to the speed at which the internet works, these may be lost on the casual reader.

For example, the image in Tuesday’s edition about accountability featured Cleombrotus being banished by Leonidas. And yesterday’s edition featured an iconic image of Sherlock Holmes.

At the intersection of banishment and Sherlock Holmes is a Michigan public relations legend W.T. “Bill” Rabe, the creator of the Banished Words List. Or more officially, the annual List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-Use, Over-Use, and General Uselessness.