What words make you cringe?

What words make you cringe?

The other day I mentioned that I’m tired of hearing “vibrant” being applied to parishes, as if that describes some quality important for a Catholic parish. To me it conjures up images of busy-ness and lots of programs, but it says nothing about the quality of parish life there.

What other words do you see used in Catholic circles that are similarly empty of real meaning, but are euphemisms for some imagined quality? “Dynamic” might be another one. I think it’s supposed to mean a lively place of the spirit or the intellect, but what it often means is “We reject orthodoxy, but we do so with style!”

I suppose it’s been done before, but it’s always fun. How about a dictionary of Modern English for the American Catholic Church? Sharpen your wit and get typing!

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