Here are the results of the Words of the Year vote from the American Dialect Society Annual Meeting, January 4, 2002 at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero, San Francisco.

1. Most Outrageous
assoline Methane used as a fuel

2. Most Euphemistic
daisy cutter Bomb used by US Air Force

3. Most Likely to Succeed
9-11 Terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001

4. Most Useful—A Tie
facial profiling Videotaping a crowd to identify criminals and terrorists
second-hand speech Overheard cell-phone conversation

5. Most Creative
shuicide bomber Terrorist with bomb in shoes

6. Most Unnecessary
impeachment nostalgia Longing for the superficial news of the Clinton era

7. Least Likely to Succeed
Osamaniac Woman sexually attracted to Osama bin Laden

8. Most Inspirational
Let’s roll! Let us take action! (words of Todd Beamer)

9. Word of the Year 9-11 (and its equivalents)

The candidates and voting tallies:

1. Most Outrageous
assoline Methane used as a fuel (23 first vote; 41 second vote)
Osamaniac Woman sexually attracted to Osama bin Laden (10 first vote; 11 second vote)
burka blue Color of the head-to-toe garment worn by some Afghan women (15)
cuddle puddle Pile of Ecstacy users on the floor (3)

2. Most Euphemistic
women of cover Muslim women who wear traditional dress (Bushism) (9)
daisy cutter Bomb used by US Air Force (45)
sneakers-up Belly-up (of a dot-com) (1)

3. Most Likely to Succeed
9-11 Terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 (50)
ground zero Site of the former WTC (4)
pop-under Internet ad appearing under main browser window (3)
weaponize Adapt for use as a weapon (anthrax, shoes, etc.) (9)

4. Most Useful
facial profiling Videotaping a crowd to identify criminals and terrorists (12-17-29—first, second, and third votes)
linguistic profiling Using dialect to identify someone’s race, region, social class (10-15—first and second votes)
annoyicon Logo in bottom corner of a television screen (3)
weapons-grade Potent (like weapons-grade salsa) (4)
theoterrorism Attacks on civilians for a religious purpose (9-9—first and second votes)
overconnectedness Being connected everywhere all the time (3)
table (v) Staff an informational table (1)
debris surge, debris storm Spread of debris from collapsing building (1)
second-hand speech Overheard cell-phone conversation (10-14-28—first, second, and third votes—tie declared)

5. Most Creative
shuicide bomber Terrorist with bomb in shoes (26)
assoline (1)
so Sept. 10 Petty; self-absorbed; oblivious to impending danger (5)
Netwallah Web site administrator (4)
orthorexia nervosa Obsession with eating the right foods (11)

6. Most Unnecessary
“the terrorists will have already won” (15-15—first and second votes)
impeachment nostalgia Longing for the superficial news of the Clinton era (21-27—first and second votes)
EC Emotionally correct (15-15—first and second votes)
desk rage Fit thrown in the office (2)

7. Least Likely to Succeed
Osamaniac (50)
interruptible (n) Energy customer allowing suspensions of service (0)
dot-orging Changing employment from a dot-com to a dot-org (4)

8. Most Inspirational
Let’s roll! Let us take action! (no real vote tallied)

9. Word of the Year
9-11 and equivalents (29)
impeachment nostalgia (0)
burka (10)
Let’s roll! (1)
theoterrorism (4)
ground zero (2)
misunderestimate (4)
homeland (5)