
10 Words Every Illinoisan Should Stop Saying Immediately
The time of year when we declare fresh starts and new resolutions is finally here, and I'm hoping 2025 will finally be the time we say goodbye to these tired, overused, and painfully trendy words and phrases.
Words That Drive Illinois Moms Crazy
For the record I must state; I know what I am about to say will make me very uncool and show my middle-age mentality, but I simply can't take it anymore.
As a mom of two nearly-tween daughters (who watch far too much nonsense on YouTube), there are a few words they say that are pushing me near the brink of insanity. Those words are; "Bro", "Literally", and "Slay".
In our house those three words are wielded as frequently as snacks disappear, and I don't think my girls even understand what they mean when saying them. Case in point; multiple times every day I find myself saying, "I'm not even a bro, stop saying that!"
Since my daughters ignore my pleas to stop saying annoying words, I am going into our next word battle armed with evidence...
Lake Superior State University's 2025 List of Banished Words
Lake Superior State University, the unofficial sheriff of language, has once again released their Banished Words List for 2025, which the create with the help of other people's recommendations. Essentially, these words had the most votes, (and I'm hoping it will help me trick my daughters into thinking saying any of these words will make them officially "uncool", wish me luck!)
10 Words That Should Be Banned in Illinois
If you want to get a jump on nominating a word of phrase you are tired of hearing or seeing, submit it for 2026 consideration, here.
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