2012's worst words
Try as you might to avoid them, these irksome terms likely crept into your vocabulary.
No matter the conscious resistance that we mount, buzzwords have a way of worming into our vocabulary like lexical pathogens. Each year certain phrases become the communicable disease of our discourse.
You may roll your eyes when your “hipster” colleague refers to something as “artisanal,” but hours later you’ll be gushing over vegan chicken broth bouillon cubes that can only be described as “glocal” for reasons obscure to you and to the person whom you’ve made your unfortunate confidant.
Some expressions seem to exist only to make us realize that we are no less obnoxious than anyone else. Everyone is susceptible to trends in talk. At the Atlantic Wire, Jen Doll glosses the year’s most overused and loathsome vernacular. You may want to strike some of these words from your vocabulary in the new year, if you can.
More from Living: 20 Pinterest crafting 'fails'
The verb “curate” gets called out for dressing up the mundane act of aggregating web content. Many sites claimed to be masterful custodians of crowd-sourced material in 2012. But a word that connotes the careful selection of works for a museum hardly applies to sites whose primary goal is to amass free content.
The presidential election provided plenty of opportunities for “gaffes” and the use of that noun.
“Fiscal cliff”, a combination of expiring tax cuts and government spending cuts scheduled to become effective Dec. 31, was also featured ad nauseum in our political discourse, and looks to continue to.
More from Living: Ugly holiday sweaters
Then there was the unfortunate suggestion of “legitimate rape” that also surfaced this election year.
Several perennial adverbs and adjectives made the list for overuse: “historic,” “epic,” “actually” and “literally” being obvious cases of depleted meaning.
Internet culture spawned the “meme”, a short phrase or picture that goes viral, and this year’s Oxford American Dictionary word “GIF”, which stands for Graphics Interchange Format.
Online conversational expressions such as “jeah” and the sinister laugh “hehehe” also make the Atlantic Wire’s list. So did the acronyms “YOLO” (you only live once) and “TLDR" (too long, didn't read).
Photo: Richard Drew/AP
Bing: Worst movies of the year.
More from The Daily Dose:
Unknown Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale found
Why mistletoe and poinsettias are everywhere this time of year
Gender gaps in pay: Worst and best states
Subscribe to the Daily Dose
inspire: live a better life
-
Respecting other people's beliefs
Editor's note: We will now be publishing Miss Manners articles twice weekly, but you will only see one question and answer per article. You can expect to see these articles appear on Tuesdays and Thursdays going forward.
-
5 heartwarming Armed Forces homecomings
President Harry S. Truman was behind efforts to establish the first Armed Forces Day in 1950, and decades later the nation continues to set aside the third Saturday in May to recognize and thank members of the U.S. military for their patriotic service. With these five homecoming images, we salute all service members at home and abroad.
-
8 Ways to Be More Productive Working From Home
There's much to be desired about working from home: the stress-free commute, flexible hours, and improved work-life balance.
-
25 things that will keep you young
Wishing for the fountain of youth? You may not need it. We've rounded up real-women secrets, tried-and-true beauty tips, and the latest research to help you fight aging.
-
10 phrases to avoid at work
Experts weigh in on when to bite your tongue at the office.
-
The crazy things you do to destress
Oh, the places you'll go — to get some "me" time, that is. REDBOOK readers confess all on Facebook.
-
Live happier on the money you have
How much money you make isn't nearly as important as how you use it, according to Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, authors of the new book Happy Money.
-
What if you don't respect your spouse?
Plus, how do you ask people to not bring gifts to a shower?
-
Five resume updates to make now
Looking for a career upgrade? Follow these tips for a foot in the door.
-
7 sun lies we tell ourselves
These tanning and skin cancer myths aren't just wrong — they can do serious harm. Wise up and head into a healthier future. P.S. You'll look a lot younger too.
-
Find happiness in unexpected places
It's possible to rejigger your brain circuitry and feel more joy, even on Monday mornings. Here's how.
-
Meditation 101: How to feel more zen—anywhere
Inner peace just got easier. You don’t need quiet, incense or hours to meditate, and you can scrap the chanting. Better: Ninety-five percent of you say you’re calmer after a single 10-minute session. Whatever your excuse (see ours), get your om on and reap the rewards.
