Is It What It Is?

[purpledaddy 6]

Love these lists.  I don't love banning words or any communication, I just love it when people point out irritants of pop culture!    "It is what it is" is a phrase I hear attorneys around the Real Life Bureau of Bureaucracies use ... in other words "we ain't got a chance!"   Or to quote Coach Lovie Smith in the beer commerical, "they are who we thought they are!"   And In the words of another phrase I would add to list:  " 'nuff said! "   (well, I hope not!  )

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071231/ap_on_re_us/banned_words

http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php

By JEFF KAROUB, Associated Press Writer Mon Dec 31, 2:56 PM ET

DETROIT - Resist the urge to say you will "wordsmith" your list of New Year's resolutions rather than write one. And don't utter, "It is what it is" when you fail to meet your first goal. 

Those are two of the 19 words or phrases that appear in Lake Superior State University's annual List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness. The school in Michigan's Upper Peninsula released its 33rd list Monday, selecting from about 2,000 nominations.

Among this year's picks are "surge," the term for the troop buildup in Iraq. "Give me the old days, when it referenced storms and electrical power," Michael Raczko of Swanton, Ohio, said in nominating the word.

The list also included "waterboarding," "perfect storm," "under the bus" and "organic." Also: "It is what it is," which Jeffrey Skrenes of St. Paul, Minn., said "accomplishes the dual feat of adding nothing to the conversation while also being phonetically and thematically redundant."

Sadly for grammar's guardians, the lighthearted list isn't binding, as evidenced by the continued use of past banned words and phrases such as "erectile dysfunction," "i-anything" and "awesome."

Still, university spokesman Tom Pink, part of a committee that evaluates submissions, takes his syntactic success where he can find it.

His office once received a letter from an Arizona Supreme Court justice who said he posted that year's list on a bulletin board and prohibited all attorneys from using those words.

___

On the Net:

Lake Superior State University's banished words: http://www.lssu.edu/banished

Lake Superior State University 2008 List of Banished Words

[MrCinatit 30]

A sweet list, authored by a random wordsmith in a very organic style  with a lot of pop - this writer is the new Shakespear. Back in the day, I would throw such an emotional story under the bus, but our post 0/11 society has created an almost perfect storm that has put a surge in my heart. It makes me want to give back to a world decimated by one too many waterboarding or black friday stories.

Webinar.

[coolotter88 2]

I'm guilty of using random sometimes...

instead of decimate, we should use something like, dimate or nondecimate.

[Somebody 12]

mrcinatit, you forgot to use 'random'.

Got it in there now...thanks. Mr. C.

[david1314 44]

I always liked the term 'Black Friday'... It always seemed like this very mainstream-use of a rebellious view of the market economy (a la socialism or anarchism).

The rest of them, I'm happy to see them go. (Though I do quite often state the obvious, like "If you don't have food, you can't eat it" along the lines of "it is what it is"...but it's undermining supposedly accepted political principles and apparently actually merits stating the obvious).

[patriots_1228 51]

I use all the words. besides, south park is sweet.

btw, Its Dennis Green, not Lovie Smith, who said "THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!"

[Easy Bakes 253]

My Mom went to that school. GO LAKERS

ORGANIC – Overused and misused to describe not only food, but computer products or human behavior, and often used when describing something as "natural," says Crystal Giordano of Brooklyn, New York. Another advertising gimmick to make things sound better than they really are, according to Rick DeVan of Willoughby, Ohio, who said he has heard claims such as "My business is organic," and computers having "organic software."quote>

They put it on every thing now ,Fat Free Organic Soy Milk should be an oxymoron not a product.

Other wise a sweet emotional random list.

 

 

[screamingman12 30]

Wow, this is so random. Really, does any of this matter? People will still use these words.

[purpledaddy 6]

Originally posted by: patriots_1228 btw, Its Dennis Green, not Lovie Smith, who said "THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!"quote>

 

I tend to confuse the Cardinals with the Bears.  I think it's part of the same holidays/Christmas or New Years thing. 

[ILL Tonkso 1,239]

Me and my friends are overly guilty of using the word Random that my sisters Boyfriend once attempted to ban me from using it.

[Joesocwork 4]

Originally posted by: purpledaddy

Love these lists.  I don't love banning words or any communication, I just love it when people point out irritants of pop culture!    quote>

 

Words aren't the only cultural irritants.  If never hear about Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears and baby sister, or Jessica (or baby sister) Simpson again...  it will be too soon!!! 

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: Easy Bakes

They put it on every thing now ,Fat Free Organic Soy Milk should be an oxymoron not a product.

quote>

It is an oxymoron.  Soybeans don't lactate.  They can be processed into a drinkable liquid but that liquid can not, by definition, be any kind of "milk".

Originally posted by: Joesocwork

Words aren't the only cultural irritants.  If never hear about Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears and baby sister, or Jessica (or baby sister) Simpson again...  it will be too soon!!! quote>

Agreed.  These people are not news.  So far, "cultural irritant" is the best term I've heard to describe them.

[ILL Tonkso 1,239]

Agreed.  These people are not news.  So far, "cultural irritant" is the best term I've heard to describe them.quote>

Target Practice is my personal faveourite

[kawan 6]

"Post 9/11". I would have to agree on that. But "random"? I have never heard anyone use that...

[The_Dalai_Llama 15]

Well, it is what it is.

And I'm still using the phrase "back in the day" whether they like it or not.

[hamsterTK 93]

I thought Black Friday was a really stupid movie where terrorists crash a blimp into the super bowl?

[MrCinatit 30]

Originally posted by: hamsterTK I thought Black Friday was a really stupid movie where terrorists crash a blimp into the super bowl?quote>

The Super Bowl is always held on a Sunday - so, no, the movie was not called Black Friday

[Joesocwork 4]

My baby brother uses "sweet" a lot and I swore I would never use that phrase!   I would be happy if any of the words of this "leet speak" would be added. 

[Voar Tok 4]

Originally posted by: MrCinatit A sweet list, authored by a random wordsmith in a very organic style  with a lot of pop - this writer is the new Shakespear. Back in the day, I would throw such an emotional story under the bus, but our post 0/11 society has created an almost perfect storm that has put a surge in my heart. It makes me want to give back to a world decimated by one too many waterboarding or black friday stories. quote>

Students, in today's webinar, we shall discuss the proliferation of improper English through means such as the internet.

Sorry, had to get that in there better.

[Barbarossa 51]

.

  Edited September 7, 2012 by Barbarossa  

[Odainsaker 2,137]

It is what it is?

Nails on chalkboards! Bill Clinton did it better with "it depends on what the meaning of 'is' is."

Oh well.

If that's how things are, that's how they'll be.

[PhilsCafe 8]

What would the CJs be without "awesome", or the Sim Diaries without "sweet".

Thank you advertising industry for constantly give us new useless words and thank you media for helping to spread them, lol. Well, the truth is, some of these words have become international. It's impossible now to eliminate them from everyday use. Let's face it, it is what it is (oh no, not again).

On the other hand, I didn't know half of the words, so there might be some hope. Of course, my list would include far more words... just turn on CNN and you get the idea...

EDIT:

Originally posted by: Odainsaker It is what it is?

Nails on chalkboards! Bill Clinton did it better with "it depends on what the meaning of 'is' is."

Oh well.

If that's how things are, that's how they'll be.

quote>

lol, that's a great one

[Meg 368]

Maybe I'm reading too much into it but I think "it is what it is" is a reaction to excessive spin doctoring which tries to make things seem like they are something other than what they are.

[PhilsCafe 8]

On the other hand, athletes or politician wouldn't have to say it if the reporters didn't ask so obvious things like: "You have lost, how do you feel about that?" -- happy?, definitely not... they can't just answer "shut up, I'm pissed!", can they?

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: PhilsCafe

On the other hand, athletes or politician wouldn't have to say it if the reporters didn't ask so obvious things like: "You have lost, how do you feel about that?" -- happy?, definitely not... they can't just answer "shut up, I'm pissed!", can they?quote>

My favorite response to a stupid question came during the pre-game hype to SuperBowl XXII.  The press was making a big deal about Washington QB Doug Williams being the first black quarterback in the superbowl.  After a while, reporters were getting desperate for original questions and this idiot stuck a microphone in Doug's face and asked "How long have you been a black quarterback?"

Doug did his best not to laugh; you could see him repressing a chuckle.  He responded that he had gone to an all-black high school and an all-black college so, in those places, he was just the quarterback; he wasn't "the black quarterback" until he hit the NFL.

Another guy was later asked what he thought of the exchange.  He expressed confusion because he had heard that Doug said he hadn't been a black quarterback for very long.

I am surprised to find that snopes disagrees with my recollection of this event.  I remember it clearly.   Joe, were you in DC back then?

[hym 358]

Originally posted by: SkiGeek Maybe I'm reading too much into it but I think "it is what it is" is a reaction to excessive spin doctoring which tries to make things seem like they are something other than what they are.quote>

I would have taken it as a form of resignation when the situation just bleeps and there is nothing more you can do about it but just accept that fact., but I can see where you're coming from.

[saltandsauce 0]

black friday is any friday the 13th isn't it

[Interchange 0]

No. It's the shopping day right after thanksgiving that the stores have the "best" deals on.

[hym 358]

Originally posted by: saltandsauce black friday is any friday the 13th isn't itquote>

As Interchange said, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving.  However, depending on who you ask, some people consider Black Friday to be the entire weekend and not just Friday.

[Voar Tok 4]

Originally posted by: hym

Originally posted by: SkiGeek Maybe I'm reading too much into it but I think "it is what it is" is a reaction to excessive spin doctoring which tries to make things seem like they are something other than what they are.quote>

I would have taken it as a form of resignation when the situation just bleeps and there is nothing more you can do about it but just accept that fact., but I can see where you're coming from.quote>

Either that, or you're trying to cover something up about it, or dodge a question.