Did you know?: This list of banished words and phrases may not be the GOAT, but it is what it is...

You're going to have to go on a vocab diet in 2023, according to the nerds at Lake Superior State University. The faculty at the Michigan college have come up with their annual list of words and phrases people should just stop using in 2023. Faculty argue these words and phrases should be banished for "misuse, overuse and uselessness."

This Did You Know segment was originally published in the Jan. 5, 2023 edition of the Today So Far newsletter.

• GOAT
• Inflection point
• Quiet quitting
• Gaslighting
• Moving forward
• Amazing
• Does that make sense?
• Irregardless
• Absolutely
• It is what it is

Regardless of what you think, "irregardless" is indeed a word (despite my pedantic rants that have ruined the vibe at various parties).

I have to agree about "quiet quitting" and "gaslighting." They are used quite a lot. Plus, "quiet quitting" is one of those language mirages, where the words literally mean something, but the concept is entirely different. Quiet quitting is simply when an employee decides to stick to their job description, only work within their shift, and not put in any extra effort ... in other words, doing their job. So you're not actually quitting, are you?!

I never caught on with GOAT (greatest of all time) in the first place. It's a nice sentiment, but who wants to be likened to a goat? Why not "BEAR" for "bringing excellence and respect"? Or "SHARK" for "so hard at rocking and kicking it"? Sure, those are reaching pretty hard, but it is what it is. "It is what it is," is a phrase I am not dropping. Sometimes, it really just is what it is.

I am open to any other animal-based ideas for complimenting people, other than GOAT. Feel free to email me at dyer@kuow.org.

The list is the result of more than 1,500 nominations from across the globe. Faculty voted and came up with the top 10. They argue that the terms are so overused that they are disconnected from their actual meaning or impact. Like, how amazing can something be if we say "amazing" for just about everything? Does that make sense?