List of Words That Should Be 'Banned'
Wed Dec 31, 1:03 PM ET

By The Associated Press

The 2004 list of words that should be banished for "misuse, overuse and general uselessness," according to Lake Superior State University:


Metrosexual: An urban male who pays a great deal of attention to appearance.


X: As in "X-Files," Xtreme, Windows XP (news - web sites) and X-Box.


Punked: To dupe, popularized by the MTV show "Punk'd."


Place Stamp Here: Printed on return envelopes.


Companion animals: Also known as pets.

Bling or Bling-Bling: Flashy jewelry.

LOL: E-mail speak for "laugh out loud."

Embedded Journalist.

Smoking Gun.

Shock and Awe.

Captured Alive.

Shots Rang Out.

Ripped From the Headlines.

Sweat Like a Pig: The problem is pigs don't sweat.

In Harm's Way.

Hand-Crafted Latte.

Sanitary Landfill: Also known as a dump.