by Andrew Villeneuve

January 1st, 2025

Every year since 1976, Michigan's Lake Superior State University has released a thoughtful and humorous "List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness". Here is the 2025 (and fiftieth annual) edition, for your reading enjoyment on this New Year's Day:

CRINGE - While "cringe" once packed a punch, it has now overstayed its welcome. Overuse has dulled its impact, and ironically, using it might now cause the very reaction it describes. "Saying someone 'caused you to cringe' or stating that 'you cringed at something' is a pretty easy and proper way to use the word," writes Ash from Newton, Alabama. "Hearing someone say 'someone is so cringe' makes me cringe!"

GAME CHANGER - How many times can a game change before it is no longer recognizable? This phrase, often used to describe anything remotely innovative, is as tired as a well-worn cliché. "Nothing is a game changer if everything is a game changer," writes Patrick of Washington, DC.

ERA - Unless you are Taylor Swift, it might be time to leave "era" behind. The term's overuse has made every fleeting moment feel like it demands a historical marker. Leah of Holland, Michigan submits, "Thanks to the name of Taylor Swift's tour, now there is an 'era' for everyone and everything! 'He's in his fatherhood era', 'She's in her pottery-making era,' etc., etc... It's overused and tiring."