10 words looked up a lot last year

[fflo]

Based on online lookups, the #1 Word of the Year for 2005 at Merriam-Webster Online was:

1. integrity

Rounding out the Top Ten:

2. refugee
3. contempt
4. filibuster
5. insipid
6. tsunami
7. pandemic
8. conclave
9. levee
10. inept

"Integrity" resonated with me a bunch this past year, as some of you know. I know someone for whom "contempt" has had a lot of significance, too. #5 and #10, no doubt, had to do with someone whose cronies neglected the #9s and tried to end the right of the opposition to #4.

Comments

seriously depressing

[homovegetarian.livejournal.com]

umm every fucking one of those is related to our government. . . negatively. . . oh god. . . . . . . we are poison . . .i hate this government. . .i hate this country. . . .so sad

Re: seriously depressing

[fflo.livejournal.com]

The only encouraging aspect of it I can come up with is that people were looking up those negative words.

But then we probably knew that, as a lot, dictionary consulters likely take a dim view of this government.

Re: seriously depressing

[queerbychoice.livejournal.com]

Except "conclave"! That one's related to the Pope, who isn't our government last time I checked - although if the Protestants had an equivalent to the Pope, I'm sure the equivalent would be our government by now.

Re: seriously depressing

[homovegetarian.livejournal.com]

just saw this. . . i was thinking of the human rights conclave -- i had forgotten the papist shit. . .