- Posted January 04, 2012
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Detroit University: Others ban words, we save them
By Jeff Karoub
Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) -- If one Michigan university can banish certain words, why can't another revive others?
Wayne State University on Monday released its fourth list of 10 words the Detroit school says deserve greater use. It comes two days after Lake Superior State University released its 37th List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness.
While each list is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, Lake Superior State's list encourages holding your tongue when it comes to such pop culture catchphrases as "baby bump," "man cave" and "the new normal." Some 300 miles to the south, Wayne State champions rescuing words that fell out of favor or never found it.
"The English language has more words in its lexicon than any other," Jerry Herron, dean of Wayne State's Honors College, said in a release. "By bringing these words back into conversation, we expand our ability to communicate clearly and help make our world a more interesting place."
Those the university seeks to rescue include "antediluvian," which means old-fashioned; "erstwhile," meaning former; and "transmogrify," a grotesque change in appearance or form. The last enjoyed a bit of a cultural renaissance in the 1980s and '90s in the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes," which often featured a "transmogrifier" Calvin built out of a cardboard box.
Both universities accept nominations online. Wayne State's list is culled from a weekly series called Words of the Week, and the terms are picked by website administrators with the help of the public.
Still, the effort can be "parlous" (that means dangerous or risky -- and yep, it's on the list). Wayne's Word Warriors have been so eager to bring "supercilious" back from the linguistic brink that the word meaning contemptuous or condescending made the list this year and in 2009.
Published: Wed, Jan 4, 2012
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