(Newser)
– Even though vaccines are being launched to fight COVID-19, spokesmen at Lake Superior State University in Michigan say they want to throw away any trace of the English term. Seven of the first words or phrases selected for 2021 for easy annual compilation of banned school words and phrases are connected to the virus, led by “COVID-19”. “Unprecedented”, which was expelled in 2002, was returned to the list, according to the AP. “Coronavirus” and “social distancing” are thrown away, along with “we are all together”, “in an abundance of caution” and “in these uncertain times”. Of the more than 1,450 nominations sent to the school, about 250 words and terms suggested for expulsion due to overuse, abuse or uselessness were related to the virus.
“To be sure, COVID-19 is unprecedented in wreaking havoc and destroying lives,” members of the list of expelled words said in a statement on Thursday. “But so is the excessive reliance on ‘unprecedented’ to frame things, so it has to work.” Sault Ste. Marie compiled the list every year since 1976 to “support, protect, and uphold excellence in language, encouraging the avoidance of words and terms that are overused, redundant, oxymoronic, clichéd, illogical, meaningless — and otherwise ineffective, confusing, or irritating. “Non-virus-related words and phrases that made the top cut include ‘pivot’, ‘Karen’, ‘up’ (short for ‘suspect’) and ‘I know, right?’ “In a small way, maybe this list will help ‘flatten the curve,’ which was also considered for the chase,” LSSU President Rodney Hanley said in a statement. “- another contestant among the nominations – for next year will not have to include that.”
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