SPRINGFIELD, Mass.—Expect cheers among hardcore online game enthusiasts when they learn Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year. Or, more accurately, expect them to "w00t."
"W00t," a hybrid of letters and numbers used by gamers as an exclamation of happiness or triumph, topped all other terms in the Springfield-based dictionary publisher's online poll for the word that best sums up 2007.

Merriam-Webster's president, John Morse, said "w00t" was an ideal choice because it blends whimsy and new technology.

"It shows a really interesting thing that's going on in language. It's a term that's arrived only because we're now communicating electronically with each other," Morse said.

Gamers commonly substitute numbers and symbols for the letters they resemble, Morse says, creating what they call "l33t speak"—that's "leet" when spoken, short for "elite" to the rest of the world.

For technophobes, the word also is familiar from the 1990 movie "Pretty Woman," in which Julia Roberts startles her date's upper-crust friends with a hearty "Woot, woot, woot!" at a polo match.

Purists of "l33t speak" often substitute a "7" for the final "t," expressing a "w007" of victory—an "in your face" of sorts—when they defeat an online gaming opponent.

"W00t" was among 20 nominees in a list of the most-searched words in Merriam-Webster's online dictionary and most frequently submitted terms from users of its "open dictionary."

The choice did not make Allan Metcalf, executive secretary of the American Dialect Society, say "w00t."
"It's amusing, but it's limited to a small community and unlikely to spread and unlikely to last," said Metcalf, an English professor at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Ill.

The 2006 pick, "truthiness," also has its roots in pop culture. It was popularized by Comedy Central satirical political commentator Stephen Colbert.

Some also-rans in the 2007 list: the use of "facebook" as a verb to signify using the Web site by that name; nuanced terms such as "quixotic," "hypocrite" and "conundrum"; and "blamestorm," a meeting in which mistakes are aired, fingers are pointed and much discomfort is had by all.

you've successfully broken through the novocaine barrier of the ice princess' heart...
...now what are you gonna do?

By M. Dirk Langeveld , Staff Writer (the lewiston (maine) sun-journal)
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
FRYEBURG - Two people were charged with operating the same car while under the influence Sunday, and one of them allegedly was driving while naked.

According to a report provided by Fryeburg police administrator Ann Perante, police officer Michael Hall pulled over a 1985 Volvo sedan on Route 302 shortly after 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. The vehicle allegedly had been traveling 75 miles per hour in a 50 mile per hour zone.

When Hall approached the car, he found that the driver, later identified as Patricia Buck, 61, was not wearing clothes.

After Buck said that she needed to use a bathroom, Hall instructed her to follow his cruiser to a campground at Walker's Bridge. When he discovered that the vehicle was not following, he returned to find that Buck had switched places with her passenger, Douglas H. Litchfield, 59. Hall gave him the same instructions he had given Buck.

Instead of following, Litchfield sped past Hall, who pursued the vehicle, according to the report. Hall reported that the car was traveling 45 miles per hour, and was weaving into the opposite lane, forcing vehicles off the road.

State Trooper Kristy Morrison was also patrolling in the area and stepped in to assist. She deployed spike mats, but Litchfield stopped the vehicle before running over them, and he and Buck were arrested. The second stop occurred on Main Street in Fryeburg, about seven miles beyond the initial traffic violation.

According to Perante, the pair said they had been in the woods prior to the incident and Buck's clothes had washed away in a stream. Morrison provided Buck with a blanket during the arrest.

The vehicle was registered in Virginia. Although Litchfield had a suspended Maine license, he did possess a valid Virginia license.

Buck and Litchfield, who listed their address as 256 Deer Hill Road in Harrison, were both charged with operating under the influence and driving to endanger. Litchfield was also charged with operating after suspension and failure to stop for a police officer.

Oxford County Jail officials said Monday afternoon that Buck was released on bail, but Litchfield had yet to post $500 unsecured bail. The pair are scheduled to appear in Bridgton District Court on Sept. 11.

*long sigh as her eyes roll skyward*