Every year, the fine folks at Lake Superior State University release their “Banished Words List” — a collection of overused, misused, or downright irritating words and phrases that should be sent to the linguistic landfill. And while the 2026 list is full of worthy contenders, we couldn’t help but notice some painfully obvious omissions.

Every January 1st, millions of us promise to become entirely new people. By January 14th, we’re back to being the same old humans we’ve always been — complete with our Netflix marathons, cookie binges, and dusty gym shoes. Why do we do this to ourselves? It’s like we’re all auditioning for a tragic comedy about self-improvement.