R.I.P. “relevant” … 2010 Vocabulary Casualties

What words died in 2010?

What words were so over-used this year that they’ve lost all meaning and become like mosquitoes buzzing in your ears?

I’ve asked this question on Twitter and Facebook. I’ll post some of my favorites as they come in…

• “Tea Party”
• “Palin”
• “authentic”
• “relevant” (Actually, I think the word “relevant” burned out a few years ago, but yes, it is increasingly annoying.)
• “stakeholders”
• “It doesn’t get any better than this!” the phrase
• “reboot”
• “perfect storm” (That term was on an “outgoing terms” list in Seattle’s The Stranger a few years ago…)
• “social media”
• “teachable moment”
• “hipster”
• “friended”
• “FAIL”
• “epic”
• “emerging”
• “hardcore”
• “sexting”
• “disconnect” (as a noun)
• “Obama” – as a prefix, (Obamacare, Obamanomics, etc.)
• “missional”, “missioning”
• “vuvuzela”
• “bromance”
• “culture war”
• “Real Americans”
• “studies show”