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Paris Hilton, Borat top 2006 Google search terms

Greg Sandoval Former Staff writer
Greg Sandoval covers media and digital entertainment for CNET News. Based in New York, Sandoval is a former reporter for The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. E-mail Greg, or follow him on Twitter at @sandoCNET.
Greg Sandoval

Borat, Bebo, Paris Hilton and Hezbollah are among the terms Internet users were most eager to learn about in 2006, according to Google.

The search engine released lists on Friday that combined the most-searched-for terms of the year and some of those that saw the fastest growth.

"Google search queries, when seen in volume, tend to reflect what is collectively on our minds day in and day out," Google said in a statement.

Among the people who peaked our interest in 2006 was Borat Sagiyev, a fictional Kazakhstani journalist created by British comic Sacha Cohen. Hilton, the model/singer/party girl, peaked more curiosity than did costume-drama star Orlando Bloom.

MySpace.com, the world's largest social-networking site, should note that competitor Bebo was among the most sought-after terms. Metacafe, a YouTube challenger in the video-sharing sector, was as well.

People were more curious about Nicole Kidman's wedding than that of her former husband Tom Cruise. When it came to divorce, nobody's generated more questions on Google than singer Paul McCartney's. Not even Britney Spears'.

Parents beware: two of the most searched-for definitions on Google were "promiscuous" and "drift," the term used to describe a dangerous and outlawed car stunt.

People wanted information on "how to refinance" and "how to tattoo." They also wanted to learn about author Truman Capote, conceivably after a movie bearing his name was nominated for an Academy Award for best picture.