Words We Dislike

Today at lunch several of the English and ESL teachers were discussing words we dislike. Nowadays and moreover are top of our list. Somewhere, somehow, nowadays got voted as the most popular way to start an essay (at least in Thailand). My first reaction to an essay starting with, nowadays is generally to let out a small scream. I'm on the verge of banning nowadays and moreover completely from use. I might even write in my syllabus: Thou shalt not start an essay with nowadays.

From our discussion of least-favorite-words-in-student-essays we moved to least-favorite-words-in-general. One of the school administrators sitting at our table mentioned how he hates synergy. Synergy has all all the markings of a hip word gone south.

If an administrator could hate synergy, I hate the word excellence. Mostly because so many schools go around proclaiming that they strive for excellence that is sounds blah. I can't see or touch or feel excellence. What do they mean? Saying that something is excellent is like saying someone is nice or saying that something is interesting.

I don't know how to change excellent; I don't know how to resuscitate the word so it's breathing again--but until then moreover! and nowadays!