As with previous years, many entries on my 2022 list of banned words and phrases come from our president. Trump gave us some whoppers; Biden is responsible for some real doozies. Trump’s were often offensive; Biden’s were frequently overused. We found ourselves thinking: “He always says that.” Here’s this year's list.
Let’s start by banning the use of two proper names, except for the people who were given these names when they were born. The first is “Karen”. For those who don’t know (where have you been?), calling someone Karen, or “a Karen” is the latest way to insult a woman (usually white) who is self-centered and demanding. Instead hit them with the deets of what it is you don’t like. Don’t tip toe around by calling them Karen.
The second name is even more annoying: “Brandon”. The phrase “Let’s Go Brandon” has become a rallying cry for people who hate Biden. For those who don’t know (again, where have you been?), somehow the president’s name has morphed into “Brandon” as a way to troll him without directly insulting him. You hear this in the background at Trump’s rallies and on certain right wing TV programs. It’s just plain silly so cut it out.
As always, I have some political terms to put into 2022’s dumpster, starting with “whataboutism”. This not-so-clever way of deflecting attention away from one’s own failings must end. A counteraccusation or new issue in the discussion doesn’t absolve you of whatever misdeed you committed. Here’s an idea. Try “I’m sorry” instead.
I’m also so over hearing the expression “sausage-making”. I blame the Democrats for this one. Their budget process was so convoluted that legislators were reduced to defending it by apologizing for making us hear about the sausage-making. This did not help. I’m hopeful that the phrase and the process are behind us for 2022.
Here’s a word to get rid of and replace with something that better explains what it was originally meant to convey: “defund”. In most cities, the intention was not to drain 100% of the budget of the local police department so that there were no police. It was to shift funds from certain activities that were causing problems and invest in ones that could help with problem solving. In most cases, that meant more funding for mental health. Stop talking “defunding” and start talking solutions. How about: “Shift some funds” from street police to social workers trained to address mental health issues.
We can give conservatives credit for the next two items on this list. “Snowflake” is a descriptor that has fallen into ill repute on both sides of the aisle, but those on the right seem particularly fond of it. It’s been around for over a decade, but it really came into its own in 2021 to describe someone with an inflated sense of their own uniqueness or an undeserved sense of entitlement. The original Karen is probably a snowflake.
The far right gets credit for my ban of “false flag”. The riots of January 6 illustrate why we need to trash this term. Spend some time looking at videos of that event. You’d need to credit someone with incredible skill in Photoshop to believe that the perpetrators responsible are correct in blaming others not seen in the videos. The rioters’ claims are a “false flag”: a deliberate misrepresentation of their own affiliations or motives.
Now let’s share some Bidenisms that we need to ban. The first is a group of several that all mean about the same thing and get repeated until they send you to the TV mute button. We have four negatives: “not a joke/not kidding/all kidding aside/no really”. For variety, try the positive: “seriously.” Or “honestly.” Or… you get the idea.
Another Biden favorite that gets overused is: “Here's the deal”. Ordinarily there would be nothing wrong with this phrase. But in Biden’s hands (or mouth), it’s losing its luster. If he can just give it a rest in 2022, perhaps I’ll let him have it back after the midterms.
The final Bidenism on my list is: “That's not hyperbole”. Indeed, it’s likely that whatever he just referred to was not hyperbole. As a figure of speech, a hyperbolic statement is usually not meant to be taken literally. I’m not always sure about what Biden has just said. Did he mean: take what I’ve said literally? Or was it a mild exaggeration? I want to know. No really.
And so this year’s list of banned words and phrases comes to a close. I’ve given you some real gems to jettison going forward.
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