When:
Lookups spiked on February 25, 2011.
Why:
The actor Charlie Sheen called a radio show and offered his strong opinions on various subjects, including the creator and writer of "Two and a Half Men":
"And this charlatan chose not to do his job, which is to write."
A charlatan is a fraud or a faker. The word comes from Italian, where it means "a person who prattles or chatters" - a person whose words should not be believed.
(Charlatan was originally the name for a person from the village of Cerreto, Italy, but we're not sure how those villagers got a reputation for being untrustworthy.)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
