Lake Superior State University gets big boost from banned words list

On New 12 months’s Day, the Higher Peninsula’s annual listing of banned vocabulary reappeared. It was yet one more tribute to literacy, the English language and 4 phrases hardly ever linked outdoors the borders of Michigan and Ontario:

Lake Superior State College.

That is no knock on Lake State, its 1,600 college students or any of its mascots, Seamore the Sea Duck and Fog Horn the Sailor.

Moderately, it’s a tribute to a long-gone publicist and a promotional concept, to borrow two phrases from the 2026 listing:

Good. Level.

In a discipline the place concepts are designed to be disposable, WT Rabe’s “Checklist of Phrases Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and Basic Uselessness” takes its fiftieth chunk of the media apple.

Over the many years, the nominations have come from the far reaches of the six most populous continents, suggesting that protection within the press, radio, tv and even the newfangled Web preceded them.

If phrase of Lake Superior State has unfold to Antarctica, give Rabe much more credit score. To take three extra entries from the present listing, he ‘gifted’ the college with ‘monumental’ success, to the purpose that the Free Press was ‘stimulated’ to commemorate him right here.

The remainder of the dishonor roll

Items and incentives work nice as nouns, in addition to verbs, says the committee of staffers who resolve the Lake State listing. Huge is used too usually, and sometimes for issues or achievements that aren’t.

Additionally dishonored for 2026: ‘My dangerous’, a repeater from 1998, thought-about childish and insincere. ‘Attain out’, additionally recycled, which had already strayed from its meant use as emotional assist when it was first talked about in 1994. ‘6-7’, no matter it means, though everybody aside from main college lecturers might be nonetheless extra amused than aggravated by it.

And: “Cooked,” as in overwhelmed, used with overwhelming frequency, and “subdued,” usually used together with attentive, even when the topic is thoughtlessly aggressive.

Nasty nominate a word for 2027go to the varsity’s web site at lssu.edu and consider how many individuals have come to acknowledge Lake Superior State College, even when they name Sault Ste. Marie. Or seek for town on a map.

And even search for Lake Superior.

Branded by the Beatles

Wilmer T. Rabe was generally known as Invoice as a result of, nicely, contemplate the choice.

Born in 1921, he grew up in Detroit, served within the Military within the Pacific throughout World Struggle II, then was recalled from the reserves and despatched to Germany within the early Fifties.

His time there was not wasted. Whereas wandering by way of the hinterland, he got here throughout the ceremonial torch of a wooden and straw determine to welcome spring. A long time later, he recreated that with an annual snowman burning in Lake State, with the addition of grilled sizzling canine.

He lastly left the Military for good and in 1963 was communications director at what’s now the College of Detroit Mercy. There he persuaded a pupil to grow to be president of a largely imaginary group known as the Stamp Out the Beatles Society.

SOBS, and thus the varsity, attracted sufficient consideration {that a} reporter introduced it up through the band’s introductory press convention in ’64. “We have now a marketing campaign to eradicate Detroit,” John Lennon replied, and someplace a publicist bought his wings.

When Rabe arrived at Lake State seven years later, the longer term college was nonetheless a university.

It’s a useful useful resource in jap UP, attracting sufficient college students from throughout the St. Marys River that the flags of each Canada and america fly on campus.

Nevertheless, academically, the colleges within the decrease states are a tricky competitors. Of the 19 notable alumni listed in LSSU’s Wikipedia entry, 12 are hockey gamers, two are hockey coaches, and one is a determine skater.

The one place within the public consciousness the place Lake State has an edge is in banned phrases.

It is all for enjoyable, the college reminds individuals each January, however there’s an added worth to it, created by the identical man who introduced an annual stone leaping competitors to Mackinac Island.

Rabe beloved the island and he’s buried there together with his spouse Ann.

“Life is a severe matter,” says their marker, and again to the final listing:

Good, interval.

Attain Neal Rubin at NARubin@freepress.com.