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‘So’ Most Deserving of Banishment


FILE - Merriam-Webster selected 'ism' as this year's word of the year.
FILE - Merriam-Webster selected 'ism' as this year's word of the year.

The tiny word “so” tops this year’s list of words or phrases people would like to see banished from use.

"So it's getting really annoying. So can we please put a stop to this?” said David G. Simpson who nominated the word to be included in the list, compiled by Lake Superior State University in Michigan

Rounding out the top five on the “List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness” were “join the conversation,” “break the Internet,” “walk it back” and “presser.”

Lake Superior State University has been publishing the list for 41 years.

The university says it has received “tens of thousands” of nominations over the years, and the compiled list now has more than 800 entries.

To nominate a word for next year, visit lssu.edu/banished.

Other words nominated for banishment include:

— Manspreading
— Problematic
— Stakeholder
— Price point
— Secret sauce
— Vape
— Giving me life
— Physicality

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