1. Hybrid – Actually Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV). Chosen to represent all things green from biodiesel to wearing clothes made of soy, to global warming to living with a zero-carbon footprint. (From the Latin hybrida, a variation of ibrida for  "mongrel," specifically "offspring of a sow and a wild boar,")

2. Surge - The controversial political and military strategy of winning the war in Iraq.

3. Bubble – As in housing bubble, bursting. Also, Credit crunch.

4. Smirting – The new-found art of flirting while being banished outside a building for smoking.

5. Pb – The symbol lead, Atomic No. 82. The culprit in innumerable toy recalls this year.

6. Ideating – Latest in a long line of verbalisms: the descendent of concepting and efforting.

7. Ω-3 (Greek letter omega-3) -- Also written as Omega 3; the healthy fatty acid.

8. Cleavage – As in ‘woman of cleavage,’ a touchy campaign subject.

9.  Amigoization -- Increasing Hispanic influence in California, the Southwest and into the Heartland.

10. Bluetooth – A technology to connect electronic devices by radio waves.

The Top Smiley or Emoticon

?-)   The smiley for ‘pirate’, thanks to the Pirates of the Caribbean. Arrrrrgh!

The Top HollyWORD gone global

Brokeback -- GLM's top HollyWORD of 2006 now recognized by Chinese Ministry of Educations as new word for 'gay,' with ideograms for ‘broke' and 'back'.