My 2023 list of banned words and phrases includes some from my readers and from other writers. As in previous years, some of my choices also appear on Lake Superior State University’s list. Here are my ten entries for 2023.
The first phrase to be tossed aside is one that I can’t believe I haven’t banned before this year. I searched my spreadsheet history to be sure. That phrase is “nothing burger.” It caught on as a favorite of Donald Trump, Jr. during the 2016 campaign season, but I’ve been hearing it a lot now. I don’t appreciate it no matter who is using it, including you, dear reader. I’m sure you’ll come up with a suitable substitute.
Some expressions on this year’s list have outlived their useful lifespans. Here are two obvious candidates: “The proof is in the pudding” and “At the end of the day.” The speakers are never talking about puddings and “the day” being referred to can happen at any hour, including in the morning. It’s more likely the end of a discussion, not a specific time frame. The “pudding” expression sounds like something President Biden would say. I hope he finds an equally folksie replacement.
I’m also exhausted hearing the expression “It is what it is.” I confess. I use it myself when I’m worn out. Simply put, this expression is a tautology. If it were up to me, I’d ban all over-used tautologies.
I don’t normally ban the names of actual celebrities. I’d planned to break with precedent this year and ban Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. I was exhausted hearing updates on their legal battles. As it happens, they settled just before the end of 2022, but I have an even better replacement to ban. Please media folk, stop covering Kanye (or Ye) in 2023. Trust me, there’s nothing about his life that we can’t live without hearing.
The next banned word earned a slot on this year’s list because of its overuse. A reader can’t be sure what facts are behind a “trauma,” so it will no longer be available. As the New York Times pointed out back in February, 2022, if everything is considered to be “trauma”, is anything really? I don’t think so.
A reader submitted “And Just Like That” for this year’s list. I confess I’m not familiar with that phrase, but I trust her judgment. I Googled it and discovered it’s the title of a show that’s been streaming on HBO for about a year as a sequel to Sex and the City. The best advice I can offer about not using this phrase is to watch a few episodes and decide for yourself.
Now we have two metaphors from a list gathered by columnist Frank Bruni that share a transportation theme of sorts. They’re both entries on this year’s list that could be considered politically inspired. The first is “Choosing (or Staying in) Ones Lane.” Most of us have been tempted at some point to weigh in with our own opinions on someone else’s discussion. If our intrusion is not welcome, we’ll likely be told to stay in our own lane. We’ll usually be well-served to take that advice.
The other entry of the transportation ilk is “Under the bus,” which is where someone will occasionally get thrown if they’re a convenient fall guy. They can also find themselves under the bus if they wander too far out of their own lane. Best to keep track of where you are in these types of conversations. Some folks are highly sensitive about those who cross lanes.
The last entry on this year’s list could also be considered politically inspired and that’s “Gaslighting.” I’m surprised I haven’t banned this sooner. It’s a favorite psychological tool of controlling people who enjoy manipulating those around them. The speaker wants someone to believe they’ve engaged in some type of unwelcome behavior. It isn’t always used for political reasons, but it’s been a favorite ploy of Donald Trump. It ends this year’s list not just as a word to be jettisoned, but more importantly as a behavior to be banned. I know. Good luck with that.
I considered banning “Quiet Quitting,” until I realized that it, too, was more the behavior that I wanted to ban, not so much the phrase. I decided having one hopeless entry on the list was more than enough.
That completes this year’s list of words and phrases that I’d like to stop hearing. If 2023 is anything like previous years, this will be a pipe dream. Maybe that’s a phrase I’ll ban next year.
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