With greetings, dear readers, I welcome you here

To ponder the terms that annoyed us this year.

Our demons were legion; they covered a range,

From "vaping" to "trade wars" to world "climate change."

We strived and we struggled to find any exit

From "opioid crisis," "harassment" and "Brexit."

And weather disasters sent chills through our bones,

Infernos and flooding and — eek! — "bomb cyclones."

A "yield curve inversion" caused markets to drop,

While "common sense gun laws" continued to flop.

As techies described their obscure "algorithms,"

Executives touted their "top-down decisions"

And "rolled out" new "platforms" with such joyful revels;

"Solutions," they claimed, "worked on so many levels."

Among the top buzzwords were "bombshell," "snowflake,"

"Intentional," "mindfulness"; Give us a break!

When "tech giants" offered a nifty new "bot,"

We "digital migrants" our passwords forgot.

Millennials fumed with sarcastic humor;

If Dad gave advice, they'd shout, "OK, Boomer!"

And "crusty" and "savage" and "salty" and "turnt"

Were some of the slang terms their parents wish weren't.

For something excessive, you heard from their throat,

It's "extra" or "Kk" or "savage" or "G.O.A.T."

Millennial schedules were always a'bustle;

"Adulting," they learned, could require a "side hustle."

And "gender inclusion" prevailed all around

As people inquired, "So, what's your pronoun?"

The Demo contenders, some youthful, some spry,

On "health care" and "wealth tax" they'd frequently vie.

And "Here's the deal!" we heard Biden pledge,

As all of us tried to pronounce "Buttigieg."

The "Mueller report" was vague on "collusion,"

Four-hundred-plus pages that reached no conclusion.

In Congress, "the Squad" was "having a moment."

The brave "whistleblower" was starting to foment

A scandal involving the "Three Amigos"

And serious worries of bad "quid pro quos."

The president frequently tweeted his views

On "witch hunts" and "hoaxes" and all the "fake news."

And, as for the future, he said, "You'll find out,"

And, "Let's see what happens," was often his shout.

His call to Zelinskiy he said was "just perfect,"

While talk of "impeachment" soon reached a surfeit.

But late in October, despite all the snark,

We all found delight in a cute "baby shark."

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Connecticut, invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via email to [email protected] or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.