Banishing banalities.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Maybe all the easy targets have already been hit, but for some reason, Lake Superior State University's annual compilation of banished words is less than wholly convincing. The university's language posse has been rounding up words and phrases for addition to its list of those banished "for misuse, overuse and general uselessness" since 1976. It's a noble project - but where are the "turned up missings" and the "been there, done thats" of yesteryear?

The annual list began as a scheme to promote the otherwise obscure university, and has been wildly successful to that end. Were it not for the list of banished words, Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., would be known mainly for burning a snowman to mark the coming of spring.

The release of the banished words list at the beginning of each year can be viscerally satisfying. It's good to find that others are irritated by such redundancies as "always consistent," "center median," "new innovation" and "completely empty," banished in 1994, 1991, 1980 and 1993, respectively. What a pleasure it is to see such oxymorons as "fresh frozen" (1989) "large size petites" (1990) and "negative growth" (2001) held up to public ridicule. How gratifying to have such cliches as "Y2K" (1999), "awesome" (1983) and anything "busters" (1985) lampooned for having worn too deep a rut in our consciousness.

A few terms have been banished more than once. "Basically," "live audience" and "ongoing" have each been banished three times - maybe a fourth would finally do the trick. Among those banished twice are such annoyances as "the bottom line," "first time ever," "irregardless" and "exact same."

But many of this year's additions to the list seem more like misdemeanors than felonies. Among them: "Material breach," "weapons of mass destruction" and "homeland security," all of which suggest a nervousness about daily news reports rather than a protective attitude toward language. Other words and phrases banished in 2003 - "black ice," "untimely death," "reverse discrimination" and "on the ground" - are indeed misused and overused, but can have real meaning in the proper context.

A few of the 2003 additions to the list are fully worthy of banishment. It's time to give "extreme," as a description of everything from sports to razors, a long rest. "Got game" has lost whatever novelty it once had. When Vice President Dick Cheney is taken to an "undisclosed, secret location," it should be said that his whereabouts are either secret or undisclosed, but not both. "Branding" is a word that ought to be used by ranchers, not marketers.

So some of this year's additions - which push the total number of banished words and phrases above 700 - promise to stand the test of time. But the 2003 group doesn't include any that shine with such perfect uselessness as "pre-plan," "zero percent increase," "past history," "new recruit," "actual fact," "hot water heater" or "two twins." Maybe next year.