Words like "cringe" and "skibidi" should be banished in 2025, Lake Superior State University decrees
(CBS DETROIT) — Lake Superior State University has announced its list of banished words. And if their advice is to be heeded, words like "era" and "game changer" should be stripped from your day-to-day vocabulary.
LSSU has been compiling a lighthearted list of banished words every year since 1976, when the school's former public relations director, Bill Rabe, and his coworkers released their "List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness." Each year's list highlights words that are often misused or overused or those that are simply unnecessary.
"Words matter! Old habits can be hard to break and we're happy to serve as a resource for the court of public opinion on what should continue to be part of the English language and what needs to be put to rest," LSSU President Dr. David Travis said in a news release.
LSSU received nominations from Canada, Australia, Denmark, Germany, India, South Africa and the U.S. for this year's list. The university said that the "fact that some of the same banished word suggestions came from different parts of the world underscores the universal struggle of dealing with challenging words and phrases."
Full list of words that LSSU says we should banish in 2025
- Cringe: The word that tops the university's list "has now overstayed its welcome. Overuse has dulled its impact, and ironically, using it might now cause the very reaction it describes."
- Game Changer: "This phrase, often used to describe anything remotely innovative, is as tired as a well-worn cliché," the university said, adding that we're in an era where almost everything gets tagged as a "game changer." And speaking of eras ...
- Era: "Unless you are Taylor Swift, it might be time to leave 'era' behind," the university declared. Leah of Holland, Michigan added, "Thanks to the name of Taylor Swift's tour, now there is an 'era' for everyone and everything! 'He's in his fatherhood era,' 'She's in her pottery-making era,' etc., etc. It's overused and tiring."
- Dropped: As a verb describing the release of a song, music video, album, or even movie trailer, the university says "this term has fallen flat" due to excessive deployment.
- IYKYK: The Internet abbreviation indicating "if you know you know" was decried or being "cryptic and exclusionary," offering "little clarity or substance. If you know, you might agree it is time to let this one go."
- Sorry Not Sorry: The university called this phrase "a half-hearted apology masquerading as bold honesty" and declared it "as disingenuous as it sounds." Sabrina from Wrenshall, Minnesota lamented, "It is really tiring to hear, and it is giving people another reason to be jerks to one another."
- Skibidi: "This viral word may have resonated with a younger crowd, but for many, it is just noise." The university shared a summary from a frustrated Denmark resident: "Nobody cares about a Skibidi toilet, Skibidi fizz, or Skibidi Ohio fanum tax. At this point, nobody even knows what it means, and it just annoys people."
- 100%: The university declared this term's "overuse has left no room for nuance or doubt. A phrase predominantly nominated for its overuse, some felt it was simply not applicable."
- Utilize: Officials with the university called this verbal embellishment a "classic offender," and asked, "Why complicate things when 'use' works just fine?"
- Period: "Yes, we understand your point — no need to verbally punctuate it. Overuse has turned this into a period we are ready to end." Period.
LSSU is accepting nominations for words or terms for banishment in 2026. Submissions are due by 8 a.m. ET on Nov. 1, 2025. For more information and to submit a nomination, visit here.
