Let's start with the good news. I've been spotting fewer of these Styrofoam cups polluting the river of English: "curate," "iconic," "artisanal," "double-down." But a small navy of other plastic bags and cigarette butts is floating in their wake:

—Legacy has legs: I have no problem with the noun "legacy," though, Lord knows, we're going to be hearing about President Obama's "legacy" for the next six months. What I do detest is the proliferation of the adjective "legacy" as a trendy euphemism for "old," "established" or "long-time," as in "legacy carriers (airlines)," "legacy automakers" and "legacy customers." I've even seen references to "legacy Republicans" (those opposing Donald Trump). Enough is enough. Can we scratch this "legacy" out of our wills?

—Objection sustained: What are we going to do about "sustainability"? This term seems to denote an admirable goal: using resources in ways that sustain them for future generations. Like "organic," "sustainable" has been watered down so much that no one knows what it means. Advertising Age called it "a squishy, feel-good catchall for doing the right thing." Every product from fertilizer to furniture to fur is now marketed as "sustainable." The growth of this word is, well, unsustainable.

—Humble pie: Why do winners of everything from Oscars and Osterizers say they're "humbled"? Copping an award doesn't make you feel humble; it makes you feel honored. Some linguists defend this usage, saying the victors are emphasizing their lowly status compared with competitors or previous recipients. Come on! It's false modesty worthy of Uriah Heep. Ironically, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, under fire for his mishandling of the Flint water-supply crisis, got it right when he said he had been "humbled by this experience." And how.

—Target practice: It seems everyone — or every thing — is "aiming to" do something these days. Three recent headlines from the New York Times: "Netflix Aims for Family-Friendly Nostalgia"; "Facebook Aims to Drive Down Tech Prices"; "A New Marina Aims to Remind New Yorkers of Their Waterways." Why am I picturing a marina pointing a gun? I haven't seen this much aiming since "American Sniper." And, don't forget that the "aim to" gun has a second barrel — "looks to," as in this headline from Fortune: "New York Times Looks To Cut Costs." Maybe the New York Times should "look to" cut "aims to" too.

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Conn., invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via e-mail to Wordguy@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

Photo credit: Susanne Nilsson