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'.

1. Climate change – The warming of the Earth’s atmosphere due to natural cycles (politically sensitive; believed to be primarily outside the control of man)

2. ‘Ho-Ho-Ho’ – Santa’s trademark phrase. In Australia officials are suggesting ‘Ha-Ha-Ha’ because the former may scandalize the children.

3. All-time low – The phrase apparently grafted next to the president’s name in the media.

4. Theory of Everything – Garrett Lisi’s especially simple theory of the Universe that unites all forces and gravity in one elegant structure.

5. Planetary Peril – Al Gore’s trademark phrase to describe the Earth’s current condition.

6. Wristband Wagon – Wearing your heart on your … wrist. Pink against breast cancer, red against third-world poverty, ‘camouflage’ (or yellow as in yellow ribbon) to support the troops,

7. No Noising – Chinese/English hybrid (Chinglish) for ‘quiet please!’

8. Fade to black – From the Soprano’s series finale to the Hollywood writers’ strike

9. Fossil Fuels – The enemy of the Greens: Coal, Oil, and Natural Gas (anything hydrocarbon-based).

10. Fashion tribe: Persons who follow a particular fashion with a tribe-like mindset: Examples include EMO, Hip-hop or Goth.

1. Al Gore – Conveniently, doesn’t need the presidency to top the list.

2. The Decider -- George W. Bush, still president after all these years.

3. Bono – U2’s front man out in front on Third World debt relief.

4. Obama & Hillary -- Barack’s name now qualifies as a buzzword; quite unusual, though Hil comes close.

5. Hugo Chavez – The Gadfly of Latin America

6. Vladimir Putin -- The supreme leader (President, Prime Minister, whatever) of the Russian Federation.

7. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- Iranian President suggests moving Israel to Europe.

8. Pope Benedict XVI -- continues to engage Muslim leadership in thoughtful discussions.

9. David Beckham and Posh Spice – Yet another ‘new’ type of Hollywood power couple.

10. Fidel Castro – The head one of the few remaining Communist states lives yet another year.