When:
Lookups spiked on May 22, 2012.
Why:
An advisor to Mitt Romney used the phrase "performance art gibberish" to dismiss an Obama campaign ad featuring steelworkers who were laid off after Mr. Romney's firm took over their plant.
Gibberish means "foolish, confused, or meaningless words." It comes from the verb gibber, meaning "to speak rapidly, inarticulately, and often foolishly," and was created by imitating the sound of meaningless speech.
A more unusual element of the critique, "performance art," refers to "a nontraditional art form often with political or topical themes that typically features a live presentation to an audience." Performance art is sometimes mocked as elitist - a quality the Romney campaign may have wanted to convey.
Image Source: BarakObama.com
