It's time to banish TomKat, Brangelina and every other cutesy combination of celebrity names, according to Lake Superior State University, which publishes an annual list of overused words it would like to see retired.

Also on the hit list is that staple of medical advertising, "ask your doctor," and i-anything, as in iPod, i-telephone, i-meeting — the new corporate speak for any product with a connection to the internet.

The university, based in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., compiles an annual list of words it would like to see banished for misuse, overuse and general uselessness, based on submissions from around the world.

It received 4,500 submissions and a university committee whittled that down to 16.

"Truthiness," the word coined by Stephen Colbert that dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster says best sums up 2006, is among the phrases the word watchers would like to see forgotten.

A word the committee banished in 1984, "awesome," is again on the list for becoming meaningless through overuse.

Media watchers who helped create the list also dislike the phrase "we're pregnant," as spoken by half of an expectant couple.

"I'm sure any woman who has given birth will tell you that 'we' did not deliver the baby," said one writer.

Also on the list of words the university thinks should be banned:

  • Gitmo: U.S. military shorthand for Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.
  • Gone missing or went missing: A phrase that makes missing sound like a place you can visit. "Was missing" is correct.
  • Pwn or pwned: A phrase used by internet gamers, meaning defeated, that is creeping into common use.
  • Now playing in theatres: An overused marketing phrase.
  • Undocumented alien: If they had documents, they wouldn't be illegal aliens.
  • Armed robbery or drug deal gone bad: It's hard to imagine one gone good.
  • Chipotle: Once it meant a roasted jalapeno. Now it is on menus to describe burritos, meats and sauces.
  • Search: Use "google" instead.
  • Healthy food: "Healthful" is the term to mean fresh fruits and vegetables.
  • Boasts: Overused in real estate ads in phrases such as "master bedroom boasts his-and-her fireplaces."

The university has been publishing its list of much-hated words since 1976, but there's no evidence that the media pay attention, said university spokesman Tom Pink.

"Sometimes people write us and tell us, 'This isn't working,"' Pink said. "I tell them we need an enforcement division."