December 19, 2006 7:24 PM PST

Paris Hilton, Borat top 2006 Google search terms

by Greg Sandoval
  • Font size
  • Print
  • Post a comment

Borat, Bebo, Paris Hilton and Hezbollah are among the terms Internet users were most eager to learn about in 2006, according to Google.

The search engine released lists on Friday that combined the most-searched-for terms of the year and some of those that saw the fastest growth.

"Google search queries, when seen in volume, tend to reflect what is collectively on our minds day in and day out," Google said in a statement.

Among the people who peaked our interest in 2006 was Borat Sagiyev, a fictional Kazakhstani journalist created by British comic Sacha Cohen. Hilton, the model/singer/party girl, peaked more curiosity than did costume-drama star Orlando Bloom.

MySpace.com, the world's largest social-networking site, should note that competitor Bebo was among the most sought-after terms. Metacafe, a YouTube challenger in the video-sharing sector, was as well.

People were more curious about Nicole Kidman's wedding than that of her former husband Tom Cruise. When it came to divorce, nobody's generated more questions on Google than singer Paul McCartney's. Not even Britney Spears'.

Parents beware: two of the most searched-for definitions on Google were "promiscuous" and "drift," the term used to describe a dangerous and outlawed car stunt.

People wanted information on "how to refinance" and "how to tattoo." They also wanted to learn about author Truman Capote, conceivably after a movie bearing his name was nominated for an Academy Award for best picture.

Greg Sandoval covers media and digital entertainment for CNET News. He is a former reporter for The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. E-mail Greg, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sandoCNET.
Recent posts from News Blog
Nvidia puts NForce chipset development on hold
Opera 10 browser is here
Neil Young Archives Blu-ray: Rip off?
Acronis revises survey results about backup habits
Acronis miscalculates data on users' bad backup habits
Flickr co-founder presses beta button
Comcast, Sony open retail store
Cox to try coaxing the Internet into submission
advertisement
Click Here

15 sites that went kaput in 2009

Web sites launch all the time, but they also shut their doors. We highlight 15 that bit the dust this year.

Top 10 news stories of the decade

Let the debate begin: Was the iPhone more important than iTunes? Was anything bigger than Google finding a great business model? CNET offers its list of the 10 most important stories of the '00s.

About News Blog

Recent posts on technology, trends, and more.

Add this feed to your online news reader

advertisement
advertisement

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right