Each December, Plain English Foundation in Australia names its Worst Word of the Year.
Today the Foundation releases its 2018 list, highlighting the worst examples of doublespeak, spin, Frankenwords and non-apologies.
Corporations were particularly heavy on spin this year. One manufacturer told staff that plants will be "unallocated" rather than closed, while the tech world gave us "voice sniffing" for eavesdropping and "coordinated inauthentic behavior" instead of election tampering. Governments and politicians were not to be outdone, describing child detention facilities as "tender age shelters", as well as creating one of the most complicated mixed metaphors we've seen lately. Meanwhile, others tried to add Frankenwords like "simplesness", "microgapping" and "situationship" to the lexicon.
But what took out the top prize for the worst word or phrase of 2018?
