Every year, Lake Superior State University in Michigan releases a playful but pointed roundup of words and phrases people are tired of hearing. The tradition has been going for half a century, starting as a quirky New Year’s party idea back in 1976. What began as a joke has turned into a cultural temperature check on how quickly language can get worn out online and in everyday conversation. For the 50th edition, the university sifted through more than 1,400 public submissions before landing on its top ten.
The first list was put together by former public relations director W.T. Rabe, and the premise has stayed the same ever since. The goal is not to ban language for real, but to call out expressions that feel overused, misused, or strangely empty. This year’s selections are heavily shaped by social media, where catchphrases can explode overnight and then linger long after the joke stops being funny. If you spent even a little time scrolling in 2025, some of these will feel impossible to escape.
Near the top is “6-7,” a viral shout that showed up in AI clips and memes, often without any context. People also singled out “full stop,” which is used verbally to add emphasis, even though many find it like announcing punctuation out loud. Then there’s “cooked,” slang for being done for or out of options, which has spread from TikTok to sports trash talk. Several commenters wanted a break from every variation of “cook” entirely.
@a1i_2025 This might be staged but still bro the idea and thought to get your class to say 67 is sad bro these are the future doctors and lawyers #67 #fyp #trending #funny #meme ♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim
Workplace language took a hit too, especially “perfect,” the polite email filler that rarely matches reality. “Massive” also landed on the list for being a default adjective that gets tossed into conversations whether it fits or not. “Gift” and “gifted” were flagged for turning a noun into a verb in a way that still irritates plenty of listeners. Even if it sounds harmless, it can come off as corporate shorthand instead of plain speech.
A few picks reflect how internet language reshapes old words and apologies. “Demure” has been repurposed online to mean stylishly restrained or quietly confident, but critics argue the trend is flattening its original meaning. “My bad” made the list for feeling dated and overly American, like a rom-com apology that never left the 1990s. “Incentivise” was called out for sounding needlessly complicated when simpler choices exist. And “reach out” rounded things off, a phrase that once suggested emotional support but now feels like an overused template for any kind of contact.
Which of these makes you cringe the most, and what word or phrase would you add to the list? Share your picks in the comments.
