GOAT: Lake Superior State University announces 2023 banished words list
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - It's that time of year again for Lake Superior State University to announce its list of banished words.
The top 10 words were selected out of 1,500-plus nominations. According to the list, the word "GOAT," short for greatest of all time, is ranked No. 1 as the best of the worst.
"Words and terms matter. Or at least they should. Especially those that stem from the casual or causal. That's what nominators near and far noticed, and our contest judges from the LSSU School of Arts and Letters agreed," Peter Szatmary, LSSU executive director of marketing and communications, said in a press release.
"They veritably bleated their disapproval about the attempted nonpareil of GOAT because the supposed designation becomes an actual misnomer. The singularity of 'greatest of all time' cannot happen, no way, no how. And instead of being selectively administered, it's readily conferred."
Here is the list of banished words in 2023, according to LSSU:
- GOAT
- Inflection point
- Quiet quitting
- Gaslighting
- Moving forward
- Amazing
- Does that make sense?
- Irregardless
- Absolutely
- It is what it is (previously banished in 2008)
"Our linguists, editors, and philosophers, comics, gatekeepers, and pundits didn't succumb to quiet quitting when laboring over rife miscommunication. Rather, they turned in discerning opinions about rampant verbal and written blunders with equal parts amusement, despair, and outrage. But our nominators insisted, and our Arts and Letters faculty judges concurred, that to decree the Banished Words List 2023 as the GOAT is tantamount to gaslighting. Does that make sense?" LSSU President Dr. Rodney S. Hanley said in a statement. "Irregardless, moving forward, it is what it is: an absolutely amazing inflection point of purposeless and ineptitude that overtakes so many mouths and fingers."
Did any of these words surprise you? Which word would you remove or add?
The university is accepting nominations for 2024 banished words. Nominations must be submitted by 8 a.m. ET on Nov. 20. One entry must be submitted per online form, but anyone is allowed to submit as many as they want.
LSSU has compiled a list of banished words every year since 1976. That year, the phrase "At this point in time" was in the No. 1 spot.
