Dear Editor,
As we approach a New Year, it is once again time to agree to cease using those annoying words and expressions that have taken root in our conversations. With that in mind, here are my few suggestions.
Going forward: This has become a tedious, over-used and meaningless expression used by politicians.
They use it in statements such as, “We will protect the environment going forward.”
Since they are already employing a verb in the future tense, why add “going forward?”
Would they say, “We will protect the environment going backward?”
Reaching out: This is something I do when I stick my arm out the car window to insert my credit card at a parking lot.
But today, many people use “reaching out” to explain that they sent an email, telephoned somebody, or said “hello” to them in a mall. It’s a silly, pompous expression.
Activist: What exactly does that mean anyway? It is not a credential.
Anybody can declare that they are an activist.
When I hear the term I think of somebody who needs to sit close to the washroom.
Exactly: This word has become a staple in radio and television. Here’s how it works. Two on-air personalities are chatting. One makes a mundane statement such as, “To avoid sunburn you should use sun lotion.”
The other on-air personality blurts EXACTLY!
It’s as though they have just heard the deepest pronouncement since Einstein revealed his theory of relativity.
Try listening to a radio or TV talk show without hearing “EXACTLY” 15 times an hour.
Thank goodness this nonsensical reflex hasn’t spread to newspapers.
Exclamation marks: When we were taught English in school we learned that exclamation marks should only be used in certain sentences.
“Your hair is on fire!” would require an exclamation mark. Today, if a friend sends you a text or email about his golf game, it will likely contain several exclamation marks.
Really, it’s not that exciting.
Those are my candidate words for erasure.
What are yours?
Victor Godin
Richmond
