The Top Ten Words of 2006
2. Infonaut – Those who blithely travel along the ‘infobahn’.
3. Hiki Komori – One million young Japanese men who avoid intense societal pressures by withdrawing into their own rooms (and worlds) rarely venturing outside.
4. Planemo -- Planets that didn’t make the cut in 2006 as sustainable planets. Pluto was demoted to a planemo.
5. Netroots -- The activists who have transformed the practice of fundraising and getting out the vote – through cyberspace.
6. Londonistan – Nickname for London as its Asian population swells.
7. Brokeback (Mountain)– A cultural phenomenon (Brokeback, Brokedown, etc.) with almost a million references to Brokeback jokes alone on Google.
8. Ethanol – Proxy for all things ‘green’ and energy independence.
9. Corruption – As in ‘Culture of’; analysis of mid-term elections suggests this was the key for the turnover of the House.
10. Chinese (adj.) – All things Chinese currently in ascendance.
The Top Words for 2005 were: 1. Refugee -- Though the word was considered politically incorrect in the US, 'refugees' were often considered the lucky ones in streaming away from a series of global catastrophes unmatched in recent memory. 2. Tsunami -- From the Japanese tsu nami for 'harbor wave', few recognized the word before disaster struck on Christmas Day, 2004, but the word subsequently flooded with unprecedented (and sustained) media coverage. 3. Poppa/Papa/Pope -- (Italian, Portuguese, English, many others). The death of beloved Pope John Paul II kept the words on the lips of the faithful around the world.
The Top Catchphrases for 2006
2. If I Did it – GLM traced nearly 10,000 news stories about O.J.’s new book within 36 hours of its announcement. The book was almost immediately withdrawn by its publisher.
3. # - ) The ‘emoticon’ way of saying ‘wasted’.
4. Airline Pulp – The Chinglish (Chinese/English Hybrid) way of describing food served aboard an airliner. We think this one is a keeper.
5. Serial Texter – Though rarely used by adults, texting has become one of the predominant methods of communication among the world’s youth, with many texting hundreds of messages a day. You can even subscribe to serialized SMS (short message service) ‘novels’.
6. Global Warming – Eliminate the political controversy and the fact remains that 10,000 years ago New York City was under 5,000 feet of ice.
7. Keeping Parents Clueless – Or KPC: The ‘instant message’ way of telling friends that while parents might be reading over their shoulders, they are nevertheless being kept uniformed.
8. Brokeback Mountain – This movie title became the center of hundreds of late night jokes. Even Dick Chaney was featured on the cover art of the New Yorker with a Brokeback theme.
9. Come and Get it Fast – McDonald’s created this Chinese phrase as a ready translation of ‘fast food’.
10. “You’re going to Hollywood!” – After five years, this phrase from American Idol, is more popular than ever.
The Top Catchphrases for 2005 were: 1. Out of the Mainstream -- Used to describe the ideology of any political opponent. 2. Bird Flu/Avian Flu -- the H5N1 strain of Flu that resembles that of the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic where 60 million died. 3. Politically Correct -- The Political Correctness Movement arose as a Global Phenomenon in 2005.
The Top Ten Names for 2006
2. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – Unfettered President of Iran.
3. Bono – Quintessential rock star, front man for the band U2, turned humanitarian.
4. George Bush – Received an old fashioned ‘whuppin’ in the mid-Term elections; still attempting to turn the tide in his last 24 months in office.
5. Kofi Annan – Departing head of the UN, both revered and reviled.
6. Joseph Ratzinger – Pope Benedict XVI turned Muslim heads by quoting a Renaissance scholar with a less than favorable opinion of Islam.
7. Brangelina – Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as a new type of Hollywood power couple.
8. Saddam Hussein – Hanging marks the end of one of the most brutal dictatorships in recent memory.
9. Fidel Castro – Still lives on as the head of one of the few remaining Communist states, some fifty years after the Cuban Revolution.
10. Hugo Chávez – Expressed less than favorable opinion of President Bush at the UN.
The Top Names for 2005 were: 1. (Acts of) God: The world watches helplessly as a superpower is humbled as one of its great cities (New Orleans) is laid asunder (Hurricane Katrina). 2. Tsunami snuffs out nearly 300,000 lives, and an earthquake takes another 200,000 (Kashmir). A Higher Power, indeed. 3. Katrina: Greek (katharos) for 'pure'. Before the hurricane, the name was most famously borne by two saints, Empress Catherine the Great of Russia, and three of Henry VIII's wives.
The Top Ten Global YouthSpeak Words for 2006
2. Ballin’ – Doing well; fine; as in he’s really ballin’ now.
3. Stick Ice – Chinese YouthSpeak for ‘popsicle’ or ice cream cone.
4. ii – Siigniifiies the text messaging style of doubliing the letter ii wherever iit iis found. (Very gee or preppy).
5. Ya-ya papaya – Snooty person (Singlish from Singapore).
6. 1 – From the U2 song One Love. Sign-off to Instant Messages.
7. =^..^= The emoticon representing a kitty.
8. Get up One’s Nose – Irritates, as in ‘He gets up my nose!’ (UK).
9. LMAO – Texting abbreviation for Laughed My Ass Off.
10. Yobbo – An unrefined or loutish youth (Aussie/UK).
The Top Global YouthSpeak Words for 2005 were: 1. Crunk -- A Southern variation of hip hop music; also meaning fun or amped. 2. Mang -- Variation of man, as in "S'up, mang?" 3. A'ight -- All Right, "That girl is nice, she's a'ight".
The Top Ten Words of 2005
1. Refugee: Though the word was considered politically incorrect in the US, 'refugees' were often considered the lucky ones in streaming away from a series of global catastrophes unmatched in recent memory.
2. Tsunami: From the Japanese tsu nami for 'harbor wave', few recognized the word before disaster struck on Christmas Day, 2004, but the word subsequently flooded with unprecedented (and sustained) media coverage.
3. Poppa/Papa/Pope: (Italian, Portuguese, English, many others). The death of beloved Pope John Paul II kept the words on the lips of the faithful around the world.
4. Chinglish: The new second language of China from the Chinglish formation: CHINese + EngLISH.
5. H5N1: A looming global pandemic that could dwarf the Bubonic Plague of the Middle Ages (and AIDS) boggles the comtemporary imagination.
6. Recaille: A quick trip around the Romance languages (French jargon, scum; Spanish, rabble or swine; Italian, worthless dregs) illustrates the full freight of the word used to describe youthful French rioters of North African and Muslim descent.
7. Katrina: Name will become synonymous with natural forces responsible for the total and utter descruction of a city.
8. Wiki: Internet buzzword (from the Hawai'ian wiki wiki for 'quick, quick') that describes collaboration software where anyone can contribute to the on-going effort.
9. SMS: Short Message Service. The world's youth sent over a trillion text messages in 2005. Currently being texted are full-length novels, news, private messages and everything in between.
10. Insurgent: Politically neutral term used to describe enemy combatants.
Last year the Top Words words were incivility, Red States/Blue States, and Blogosphere.
The Top Ten Phrases of 2005
1. Out of the Mainstream: Used to describe the ideology of any political opponent.
2. Bird Flu/Avian Flu: the H5N1 strain of Flu that resembles that of the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic where 60 million died.
3. Politically Correct: Emerges as a worldwide phenomenon.
4. North/South Divide: In the US it might be Red States and Blue States but globally the 'haves' and 'have nots' are divided by a geographical if not psychological boundary.
5. Purple Finger/Thumb: The badge of honor worn by Iraqi voters proving that they voted in their ground-breaking elections.
6. Climate Change: (Or Global Warming.) No matter what your political persuasion, the fact remains that New York City was under 5,000 feet of ice some 20,000 years ago.
7. String Theory: The idea that the universe is actually constructed of 11-dimensional, pulsating planes of existence.
8. The Golden Quatrilateral: India's new superhighway system that links the key cities of the Subcontinent.
9. Jumping the Couch: Apparently losing complete emotional control; made popular by the escapades of Tom Cruise on the Oprah television show.
10. Deferred Success: The idea introduced in the UK that there is no such thing as failure, only deferred success.
Last year the Top Phrases were Red States/Blue States, Moral Values, and Two Americas.
The Top Ten Names of 2005
1. (Acts of) God: The world watches helplessly as a superpower is humbled as one of its great cities (New Orleans) is laid asunder (Hurricane Katrina).
2. Tsunami snuffs out nearly 300,000 lives, and an earthquake takes another 200,000 (Kashmir). A Higher Power, indeed.
3. Katrina: Greek (katharos) for 'pure'. Before the hurricane, the name was most famously borne by two saints, Empress Catherine the Great of Russia, and three of Henry VIII's wives.
4. John Paul II: The death of beloved Pope John Paul II kept his name on the lips of the faithful around the world.
5. Wen Jiabao: Premier of the People's Republic of China since March 2003; leading perhaps the largest economic transformation in history.
6. Saddham Hussein: Should re-read Karl Marx -- the first time is history, the second but farce.
7. Dubya: Every more 'weeble-like': Dubya wobbles but he won't fall down.
8. Oprah: Now a global phenomenon with an ever-expanding media (and charitable) empire.
9. Shakira: The Columbian songstress is captivating ever wider circles.
10. John Roberts: New Chief Justice of the American Supreme Court.
Bonus: Mahmud Ahmadi-nejad: President of Iran since August 2005; he has recently suggest that the Jewish Homeland be moved to Europe (or Alaska).
Last year the Top Names were Dubya Rove (W. and Karl Rove), Mel (Gibson) (Michael) Moore, and Saddam Hussein.
Top Global Musical Terms
1. Reggaeton (pronounced Reggae-TONE): Part Latin, part hip hop, with liberal helpings of Dancehall and Caribbean music thrown in for good measure. Several Reggaeton radio staples this year made their way into the public consciousness.
2. Baile (pronounced Bye-Lay) Funk: Brazilian dance music that has gained popularity worldwide, championed by such trend-setters as Norman Cook in the UK, and Philadelphia DJ Diplo.
3. Podcast: New broadcast medium; think of it as Tivo for your radio. Even your nighbor is podcasting.
4: Rootkit: Thanks to an overzealous copy-protection scheme, thousands of music fans who tried to encode Sony artists' music onto their computer unwittingly installing a malicious piece of code that exposed their computers to attack. After intense media scrutiny and public outcry, Sony recalled the CD's from shelves and offered free downloads of the affected albums.
5. Live 8: Millions of people tuned in to the sequel to Sir Bob Geldoff's1985 Live Aid benefit, this time to raise awareness of poverty and Third World debt and to pressure countries in the G8 to do something about it.
The Top Ten Global YouthSpeak Words
2. Mang: Variation of man, as in "S'up, mang?"
3. A'ight: All Right, "That girl is nice, she's a'ight"
4. Mad: A lot; "She has mad money"
5. Props: Cheers, as in "He gets mad props!"
6. Bizznizzle: This term for" business" is part of the Snoop Dogg/Sean John-inspired lexicon, as in "None of your bizznizzle!'
7. Fully: In Australia an intensive, as in 'fully sick'.
8. Fundoo: In India, Hindi for cool
9. Brill! From the UK, the shortened form of brilliant!
10. "s'up": Another in an apparently endless number of Whazzup? permutations.
Southern California YouthSpeak Bonus: Morphing any single syllable word into 3, 4 or even 5 syllables.
The Top TeleWORDS for the 2005 - 2006
1. Truthiness -- (Colbert Report) Truth unemcumbered by the facts.
2. Wikiality -- (Colbert Report) Reality as determined by majority vote. See Pluto, the former planet. First time ever with two words from the same show.
3. Katrina -- (The News) First hit of the 2005-'06 season; unfortunately a direct hit on New Orleans.
4. Katie -- (CBS Evening News) Did we ever refer to Walter Crondkite as Wally or Dan Rather as Dannie? Will Katie help us redefine the term, gravitas?
5. Dr. McDreamy -- (Grey's Anatomy) Patrick Dempsey follows in a long line of television 'dream-boat' physicians dating back to 'Dr. Kildare'.
6. Bush's War -- (Heard often on the News) Echoing the label bestowed upon Mr. Lincoln (Mr. Lincoln's War) two centuries past. After his assassination and the end of what we now know as the Civil War, Lincoln rose steadily in stature.
7. Man of the hours -- (24) Keifer Sutherland finally gets the nod.
8. Tourette's -- (I have Tourette's but Tourette's doesn't have me) Replaces Tony Sholub's OCD as the lesser known disease going mainstream this season.
9. Dysfunctional -- (The Office) The office as family, dysfunctional family that is.
10. Falling Starr -- (The View) Starr Jones that is, in her battle with BaBa Walters.
Bonus Phrase: 'You're going to Hollywood!' -- (American Idol) Simon Cowell's wunderkind might actually win an Emmy this time around.
The Top TeleWORDS of the 2004-05
1. Refugee
Show: Ongoing coverage of the aftermath of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina.
Comment: For millions, the word has now taken on a racial undertone and was subsequently replaced by evacuee and others.
Runners-up: Evacuee, displaced persons, Katrinees?
2. Desperation
Show: Desperate Housewives/The Tsunami/Hurricane Katrina
Comment: Desperate Housewives began the television year in good fun, but as the year progressed the world witnessed an on-going war, a tsunami, the death of a beloved Pope, and finally unanswered death and despair on the American Gulf Coast.
3. Camp Cupcake
Show: The On-going Martha Stewart follies
Comment: The minimum security WV facility where Martha did her time.
Runner -Up: Ankle Bracelet
4. Reality TV
Show: The Real World, The Bachelor, Survivor Classic, The Simple Life, etc.
Comment: Real-world reality bested the manufactured kind by a long shot this television season.
5. Curmudgeon
Show: House
Comment: Acerbic, caustic, antisocial, & mean-spirited; those are socially redeeming qualities of this brilliant physician.
6. "Its what we do."
Show: Stargate SG-1
Comment: Stargate becomes the longest running Sci-Fi Series in the history of the medium.
7. Flip Flop
Show: The 2004 U.S. Presidential Elections
Comment: Formerly referred to gymnastic routines, pancakes, and dolphin acts; now transcends politics moving into pop culture.
8. Backstory
Show: Lost
Comment: Lost takes the story behind the story concept to the next level.
9. Tsunami
Show: The News
Comment: Before "The Tsunami" took a quarter of a million South Asian lives, most of the viewing audience had only a vague acquaintance with the word.
10. Mobisodes (Not another season of the Sopranos, but one-minute TV episodes designed specifically for mobile media.)
Show: Every 'hip' show worldwide.
Comment: Coming soon to a cell phone near you.
Words No Longer Hip
Word: "Youre Fired"
Show: The Apprentice
Comment: Top of last years TeleWORDS List, plunges in a precipitous decline.
Word: "Mess O Potamia"
Show: The Daily Show
Comment: Jon Stewart's quip cuts a bit too close to reality these days.
Words With Legs
Words: "Yadda, yadda, yadda!"
Show: Seinfeld
Comment: During the summer, its repeats were besting Prime Time Network Comedies.
Largest Global Phenomenon of a Single Word:
"Idol/Idool/Idolo"
Comment: American Idol writ large. Now more than two dozen Idol-type shows from South Africa to India.
Top Word From Down Under: Free to Air TV
Comment: For the first time, 2005 saw the cable industrys share of the TV market in the US, exceed that of Network Television.
Top TV Name in China: Mickey Mouse
Comment: Opening of the new Hong Kong Theme Park during Golden Week impacts the airwaves.
Coolest 'unCool' Series: New Zealands Fair Go
Comment: The show defends consumers against injustice, even battling (and winning) for a one-cent discrepancy
About the list
Items index
- The Top Ten Words of 2006
- The Top Catchphrases for 2006
- The Top Ten Names for 2006
- The Top Ten Global YouthSpeak Words for 2006
- The Top Ten Words of 2005
- The Top Ten Phrases of 2005
- The Top Ten Names of 2005
- Top Global Musical Terms
- The Top Ten Global YouthSpeak Words
- The Top TeleWORDS for the 2005 - 2006
- The Top TeleWORDS of the 2004-05