A US State University Wants Viral '6-7' Phrase 'Banished' in 2026

In a dramatic language takedown, Lake Superior State University in Michigan has unveiled its 50th annual Banished Words List, officially branding the viral '6–7' phrase as public enemy number one for 2026.

The long-running tradition, which began at a boozy New Year's Eve party in 1976, takes gleeful aim at words and expressions that have worn out their welcome, transforming from clever and catchy into relentlessly irritating. What started as a tongue-in-cheek protest against 'mis-, mal-, over-use, or general uselessness' in the English language has since exploded into a global ritual of collective eye-rolling.

This year's linguistic purge attracted more than 1,400 nominations, flooding in from all 50 US states and far beyond, including submissions from Uzbekistan, Brazil, Japan and the UK. The volume alone underscores just how passionately people feel about the phrases they are forced to endure in everyday conversation.

University officials then comb through the complaints, winnowing them down into a final list that is deliberately equal parts amusing and alarming. The result serves as both comic relief and cultural mirror, capturing how language can spiral out of control once buzzwords go viral.

Now marking its 50th year, the Banished Words List has become an international phenomenon, charting the rise and fall of once-trendy expressions and reminding the public that not every popular phrase deserves a permanent place in our vocabulary.

'6-7' Tops the Hit List – And It's No Surprise

Leading the pack of linguistic offenders is '6-7', that lazy shorthand for 'six or seven' that's infiltrated texts, tweets, and chit-chat everywhere.

Submitters were relentless, with Paul E. from Wisconsin cheekily noting there are 'six or seven reasons why this phrase needs to be stopped.' Scott T. from Utah piled on, insisting it's high time to '86' it, borrowing diner lingo for ditching menu items.

Their gripe is that it's vague, repetitive and utterly unnecessary, turning precise communication into a numerical guessing game. With nominations for this one alone threatening to hog the entire list – at least slots six through seven – it's clear the public is fed up.

From TikTok Trends to Corporate Clichés: The Full Roster of Rejects

The list doesn't stop at numbers. 'Demure' – riding high on the TikTok wave with 'very demure, very mindful' – got the axe for being 'very said more than very done,' as Tammy S. put it. Madison C. echoed that overuse has eroded its true essence of modesty.

Then there's 'cooked', slang for being done in or overwhelmed, which left Zac A. from Virginia's brain feeling fried; parents led the revolt, with James C. from Washington advocating a blanket ban on all 'cook' variants to make them rare indeed.

'Massive' was slammed by Don and Gail K. from Minnesota for its 'way overused' status, often slapped on things far from gigantic. Corporate speak took a hit too: 'Incentivize' grated like 'nails on a chalkboard,' with Patricia from Texas wondering why we can't just say 'motivate.'

'Full stop' was deemed redundant, much like the previously banished 'period.' 'Perfect' irked in customer service scripts; Jo H. from California questioned how anything's truly perfect, while Char S. from Ohio pondered its vague meaning. 'Verb-ifying' nouns continued with 'gift' or 'gifted', a repeat from 1994, as James S. from Oklahoma revived the complaint for personal satisfaction.

Apology faux pas 'my bad' was called out for sounding 'infantile,' unchanged since its 1998 ban, per Elizabeth P. from Michigan and Andrea R. from Ohio. 'Reach out', once warm with support vibes, has devolved into absurd overuse, straying from its 1994 intent, as Kevin B. from the UK observed.

The Stubborn 'Repeat Offenders' That Keep Coming Back

For this milestone anniversary, LSSU dusted off 'repeat offenders;' words that defied past bans and sneaked back.

'Absolutely' returned from 1996 and 2023, now a lazy default for agreement; will it aim for a third? 'At the end of the day' notched a rare triple ban (1999, 2022, 2024), blamed on pundits and Hollywood elites by Mike M. and Randall H.

'Awesome' resurfaced from 1984 and 2007, with Elnora V. decrying its application to mundane events, echoed by Thai nominators calling it meaningless.

'Game changer' doubled up from 2009, with Cynthia declaring 'game over' for the cliché, only for Patrick from DC to note in 2025 that if everything's a game changer, nothing is. Even the redundant 'hot water heater' echoed its 1982 and 2018 slaps, courtesy of anonymous radio listeners and later reminders.

Over five decades, this list has evolved from a PR stunt by W.T. (Bill) Rabe into a cultural touchstone, poking fun at jargon while celebrating language's fluidity. Thousands of contributors keep it alive, venting frustrations and ensuring our words stay sharp, not stale.