It's...The Plain English Awards: Top phrases of 2019 revealed

Taking a look back at the most memorable successes and slip-ups of the year, the awards celebrate the best and worst use of the English language by public figures and organisations.

Unsurprisingly, 'get Brexit done' was voted 2019’s top Phrase of the Year by the British public.

Nobody knows what it means – because it means all kinds of things that nobody can explain or justify.

To some it means ‘leave the EU’ because they ‘just want out’. That wouldn’t ‘get Brexit done’ as the subsequent negotiations could run on for over a decade, taking a form that nobody yet knows, with similarly unknowable outcomes.

A matter of enormous national importance has descended into a buzz-phrase pantomime.

Made notorious by this summer’s Love Island, 'it is what it is' came in second.

Frustratingly, this definition-less and meaningless expression seems to have infiltrated the national lexicon.

Roughly, it translates as resigned acceptance of a situation. If Brexit means Brexit, well it is what it is then.

Last but not least, third prize for the Phrase of the Year goes to Coleen Rooney for the big reveal as to who has been leaking her Instagram posts to media: ‘It’s…… Rebekah Vardy’s account.’

Dubbed as ‘WAGatha Christie’ on social media back in October, the saga went viral for days.

The Guardian deemed the Wag Wars to be ‘arguably the greatest thing that has ever happened in the entire history of the internet.’

Just when the Vardys thought it had all died down, the birth of their baby this week saw a revival on Twitter with floods of ‘It’s…. a girl’ and even ‘it’s… baby Vardy’ from Match of The Day’s account.

The UK’s best showbiz story of 2019 shows us that there’s nothing like a great catchphrase to unite the social media battleground during a time of political division.

Confused.com, the apt sponsors of the award, also revealed that people are fed up with jargon with phrases such as 'no offence but', 'at the end of the day' and 'think outside the box' which annoy people the most.

They also voted political figures, estate agents and marketing execs the worst culprits. And with the election campaigning in the not so distant past, it’s unsurprising that almost half said politicians never directly answer a question.

Lee Monks, spokesperson from the Plain English Campaign says: “The Confused.com Plain English Awards showcases this year’s plain English heroes and villains.

“We also spent far too long trying to help members of the public understand various Brexity terms.

While it gives us plenty to talk about, we dearly hope the language surrounding the political process clears up considerably in 2020, or it could be yet more confusing than the most baffling on record.

“On another note, there was much to celebrate this year, as our worthy winners prove. As we gently mock the culprits of poor communication, let’s make sure we continue to encourage those eager to do the right thing.”

Sam Day, chief marketing officer at Confused.com, says: “We congratulate all those awarded for the best use of the English language. It’s so important we communicate clearly at a time where gobbledygook and jargon are rife.

“By using the Plain English Awards to poke fun at some of the culprits and celebrate those who’ve said it like it is, we want to call for better use of the English language and make the world a little less confusing.”