http://kuow.org en http://kuow.org/post/what-words-2012-would-you-banish <p>Bring us your tired metaphors, overused phrases and words that summon an unpleasant visceral reaction. <a href="http://benzimmer.com/">Ben Zimmer</a>, language columnist for the Boston Globe, explains why these words and phrases bother us so much. Sometimes a word variant sounds odd to our ear, even if it’s correct, such as “pleaded” rather than “plead.” Other problems arise when words reveal disparities, such as a lack of an equivalent term for the opposite gender. And jargon can become offensive when it migrates from its original community to more common use in mainstream media or by different age groups. Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:35:43 +0000 Ross Reynolds 5987 at http://kuow.org What Words From 2012 Would You Banish?