Zany

When:

Lookups spiked on December 14, 2011.

Why:

Referring to rival Newt Gingrich in an interview, Mitt Romney said, "Zany is not what we need in a president."

The word was prompted by a New York Times reporter who asked Romney if American voters had any concern that if Gingrich wins, "there might be some zany things coming from the Oval Office."

Zany is defined as "very strange and silly." It comes from an Italian word for a clown and originates in a nickname for the Italian name Giovanni (John).

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore / flickr