Kim Kardashian (Photo : Facebook)
A Northern Michigan University has released its yearly list of about a dozen words and phrases it argues should be banned from everyday use in 2016. Lake Superior State University released its 41st list on December 31, Thursday. Some of the words and phrases that made this year's list include "break the Internet," "presser" (press conference), "walk it back" (take back statement/reverse action) "join the conversation," "price point," "vape" (smoke e-cigarettes), and "stakeholder."
The university's list is based on nominations that are submitted by the school's financial supporters. Other words and phrases included on the list are "So" (starting a sentence), "giving me life," "problematic," "physicality," and "manspreading" (sitting in multiple seats).
Some of the words/phrases are new ones. "Break the Internet" became popular after a November 2015 magazine cover story about Kim Kardashian, according to CNN.
This year's list even included "secret sauce," which was nominated by John Beckett of Ann Arbor, Michigan. He questioned whether the phrase is a business metaphor that is based on the fast food industry, according to ABC7 Chicago.
One of the most interesting nominations was "So," which also made the list in 1999. This year the complaint is that people overuse the short word in a reply. However, in 1999 the big issue was that the word was used too often as a modifier, meaning "very much."
Tom Pink managed the list's creation. He noted that he and his colleagues were surprised that this year's list included few political terms, although they expect more in 2016 due to it being a presidential election year.
The university's list of banned words/phrases started on New Year's Day 1976 by the public relations director Bill Rabe. His tradition continued after he left the school in 1987.
