A cranky wordsmith reacts to being told "no."

OK, I'm the first to admit some words are overused. From a year and a half in the computer industry in the late '90s, I still have a hatred of the word "robust"--which I still feel better describes spaghetti sauce than software.

However, I am disinclined to alter my writing because of similar opinions from Lake Superior State University. Some of their over-used words, such as "a perfect storm," "back in the day," or "give back" are over used. "Give back" is particularly grating to me--call that a side-effect of reading too much Ayn Rand.

However, some, such as "post-9/11" or "webinar" (which I don't consider overused since I've never heard it) would seem to have a proper place.

I'm left to conclude that I should ignore the expert opinions in this case. To invoke another phrase I find myself using a lot in casual conversation, sure to invoke the ire of the list-makers, it is what it is.