Popular words and phrases in 2000

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Published Sunday, Dec. 17, 2000, in the San Jose Mercury News

English suffers from an attack of the chads

BY ROB KYFF

As the year 2000 began, Americans were worried that a tiny, computer-related fluke (Y2K) would shut down our entire electrical system. Now, as the year ends, it turns out that a tiny, computer-related flake (chad) has shut down our entire electoral system.

It was that kind of year -- and our language showed it.

Yes, folks, it's time for the annual Best and Worst Language Awards (B.A.W.L.). Read 'em and recount.

Worst TV cliche: Thanks to CBS's ``Survivor,'' a business meeting is now a ``tribal council'' where ``back-stabbing slackers'' are ``voted off the island.'' But ABC's ``Who Wants To Be a Millionaire'' yielded the stalest catch phrase: ``Is that your final answer?''

Worst new verb: ``actioning,'' as in, ``the town council is actioning resolution of that issue.''

Worst noun lifted from obscurity: ``chad,'' whether swinging, hanging, dimpled, bulging or pregnant.

Newest ``whine'' in old battles, big time -- The election and its fuzzy aftermath resurrected many old-fashioned terms: ``lockbox,'' ``big time,'' ``rats,'' ``sore loser'' and ``snippy.''

Wildest Dan-home metaphors: CBS anchorman Dan Blather's election-night gushers had Al Gore ``as cross as a snapping turtle,'' George W. Bush ``madder than a rained-on rooster'' and the presidential race ``as tight as the rusted lug nuts on a '55 Ford.''

Most unsubliminal Bushwhackery: ``I know how hard it is to put food on your family.''

Most creative post-election wordplay: An airplane flying over South Florida pulled a banner with a new version of the Wicked Witch's skywritten message to Dorothy: ``SURRENDER GORETHY.''

Runners-up: Bush supporters' revision of ``Gore-Lieberman'' signs to read ``Sore Loserman,'' and Time magazine's headline: ``Unpresidented.''

Most overused terms: The nominees are ``gravitas,'' ``key battleground state,'' ``tipping point,'' ``gateway'' (as in ``gateway topic''), ``the next new thing,' ``fatigue'' (as in ``Clinton fatigue''), ``vet'' (meaning to examine), ``at the end of the day,'' ``ramp up,'' ``controlled burn,'' ``court of public opinion,'' ``robust,'' ``sounds like a plan,'' ``creep me out,'' ``irony,'' ``obscene,'' ``broadband,'' ``nuanced,'' ``responsive,'' ``bundling'' (of high-tech services).

Should I announce the winner now? ``Sounds like a plan!''
ROB KYFF is a teacher and writer. His first book is ``Word Up! A Lively Look at English.'' Write to him at wordguy@aol.com or in care of this newspaper.



-- Chad (words@nd.phrases), December 19, 2000

Answers

Hee hee. Thanks, Chad. (Actually, I used the word "obscene" a few days ago in a work related context, to describe how the system I do engineering for is being misused by some of its users. Overly dramatic perhaps, but it got the point across rather effectively.)

-- David L (bumpkin@dnet.net), December 19, 2000.

Lets GET REAL....2000....

Da Bomb

Wow, this IS the shit

Kind Bud

Anyone else?

-- sumer (shh@aol.con), December 20, 2000.


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