'Truthiness' is the word of the year

Stephen Colbert

CNN had the article. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. But for "truthiness" to sum up the year 2006 tells us just how far we - or our politicians - have strayed from a reality-based understanding of life.

Take a look:

SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts (AP) -- 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.

I'm glad Colbert coined the word because it points to the current administration's contempt for facts. I'm not sure I think of it as "playful", however. Bitingly satirical, yes, and maybe a little sad.