Banished Words of 2009

Banished Words of 2009 Banished Words of 2009 Banished Words of 2009 By Maeve Maddox Every January Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie publishes a list of 15 Words to Be Banished from the Queens English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness. This years losers (and some reasons given for banishing them): 1 Green 2 Carbon Footprint 3 Maverick 4 First Dude Skateboard English is not an appropriate way to refer to the spouse of a high-ranking public official. 5 Bailout Use of emergency funds to remove toxic assets from banks balance sheets is not a bailout. When your cousin calls you from jail in the middle of the night, he wants a bailout. 6 Wall Street/Main Street 7 -monkey (all-purpose internet suffix) 8 Icon/iconic 9 Game changer 10 Staycation (stay-at-home-vacation) 11 Desperate Search 12 Not so much 13 Winner of Five Nominations 14 Its that time of year again When is it not that time of year again? Any English speaker is eligible to nominate a word and give a reason for its banishment. Check out the LSSU site: Origins of the contest 2009 List and reasons for banishment Submit your choice for 2010 List Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Homograph Examples50 Idioms About Arms, Hands, and Fingers20 Ways to Laugh

Michael Phelps Coach Shares 3 Steps to Conquering Anything

Michael Phelps Coach Shares 3 Steps to Conquering Anything Ever wonder what sets peak performers apart from the rest of us? Or how it might be possible to reach that level of performance ourselves? Raw talent and intelligence are not enough. Here are the top 3 most important daily habits of champions, at least according to Olympic champion Michael Phelps’ coach–who certainly would know!1. Take Charge of Everything You Can ControlHaving a desire to be at the top of your field is one thing. But having a clear vision for what that looks like is another. There are so many variables in your career that you cannot control. What you can control is the process of doing what you need to do, i.e. getting into the pool every day and swimming fast, every single day, week, month, and year. Stay true to the journey, every step, and focus on the parts you have power over. You’ll be in a much stronger place to grasp your dreams when they come within reach.2.  Visualize Your Best SelfYou have to visualize yourself doing what you know y ou need to do to be the best. You have to do this every day. See yourself winning and achieving your goals. Don’t just fantasize, visualize. Run through your success in a variety of different scenarios with obstacles to overcome. Watch yourself winning. Your brain will get so used to that success, it will be that much more likely to help push you toward it when the time comes to perform. Form a strong mental picture of where you want to be in a year, and hold on tight. Your brain will help deliver opportunities to get you there.3. You Have to Put in the WorkHere’s the catch. You have to work hard. All the talent and drive and intelligence and mental preparedness in the world can’t get you where you want to go. Only hard work can. Practice practice practice. Michael Phelps practiced 365 days a year for 6 straight years to prepare for the Olympics. This is part of what programmed his brain and body for peak performance. Whatever your equivalent is- put in the time and effort. Run through that presentation not just one, but ten or a hundred more times before you give it.Working on these three daily habits won’t necessarily get you a record-breaking heap of Olympic medals, but it sure will help get you where you want to go. Find your equivalent and get to work.