[Vision2020] Colbert's 'Truthiness' Named Top 2006 Word

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (December 9, 2006) Spokesman Review -

Stephen Colbert's "Truthiness"
http://www.tomandrodna.com/Stuff/Truthiness_Colbert.mp3

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Adam Gorlick 
Associated Press
December 9, 2006

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - After 12 months of naked partisanship on Capitol Hill,
on cable TV and in the blogosphere, the word of the year for 2006 is ...
"truthiness."

The word - if one can call it that - best summed up 2006, according to an
online survey by dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster.

"Truthiness" was credited to Comedy Central satirist Stephen Colbert, who
defined it as "truth that comes from the gut, not books."

"We're at a point where what constitutes truth is a question on a lot of
people's minds, and truth has become up for grabs," said Merriam-Webster
President John Morse. " 'Truthiness' is a playful way for us to think about
a very important issue."

Other Top 10 finishers included "war," "insurgent," "sectarian" and
"corruption." But "truthiness" won 5-to-1, Morse said.

Colbert, who once derided the folks at Springfield-based Merriam-Webster as
the "word police" and a bunch of "wordinistas," was pleased.

"Though I'm no fan of reference books and their fact-based agendas, I am a
fan of anyone who chooses to honor me," he said in an e-mail to the
Associated Press.

"And what an honor," he said. "Truthiness now joins the lexicographical
pantheon with words like 'squash,' 'merry,' 'crumpet,' 'the,' 'xylophone,'
'circuitous,' 'others' and others."
 
Colbert first uttered "truthiness" during an October 2005 broadcast of "The
Colbert Report," his parody of combative, conservative talk shows.

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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving
safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in
sideways, chocolate in one hand, a drink in the other, body thoroughly used
up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO. What a ride!'"