Top 10 Greetings of 2006

It's that time of year, and as usual, we at RoryAndCraig.com did not want to dissappoint. Top 10 lists are all the rage...but it started here first. So here is our annual list of the top 10 greetings of the year.

Top 10 Public Greetings of 2006

10. "Hello"
The old standard is back. 2005 was a hard year for 'hello,' but the 'H Word' was given a heavy boost with its prominence in the film adaptation of 'The Da Vinci Code,' and it never looked back.

9. "What's up, Dude?"
Is he being casual, or is he just that cool? This is the question that lingers after our number 2 greeting is uttered. At work, in a bar, or bulking up at the gym, this greeting is sure to make a statement, dude.

8. "Hey"
'Hey' isn't just for horses anymore. This word jammed greeting radars on both coasts to make its first appearance on our top ten. Using it too often is a 'no no,' but once in a while, 'hey,' why not?

7. "Good morning"
Hipsters everywhere turned this baby boomer bore into an ironic call to arms. 'Good morning,' yeah right! You can trust that anyone over thirty might not catch the joke. But isn't that the point?

6. "Yo"
We can all thank Fifty Cent for this gem. Dont worry, even if your not a hip hop rapper, you can enjoy this vowel filled greeting. Just ride the beat and expect a high five to come your way.

5. "mm hmmm" (clearing ones throat)
Maybe greeting isn't the word, but this definitely lets others know that you're in the room. This gem usually works best while working your way through the crowd, but in the age of 'I'm here, bitch,' a good throat clear can turn a night on the town into drinks on the house.

4. "I'm here, bitch"
And so you are. A sleeper until late in the year, 'I'm here, bitch,' wouldn't take 'hello' for an answer. A mix of O.C. trash and Park Ave. brash. 'I.H.B.' alienates to the point of envy.

3. "Whassup!"
It's back, and it's better than ever. What was once a novelty saying, that made even the biggest shut in ask for a cool Bud, is now an attention getter and a way of life. It is even rumoured that Prince William managed to give a 'whassup' to that 'it girl' named after a certain French city (Paris...Hilton).

2. "Welcome"
Who said kindness doesn't pay? 'Welcome' was one of the top 50 words searched on google in '06, surpassing both 'striptease' (no. 62) and 'god' (no. 64). Now that's a welcome statistic (for everyone but topless religious freaks).

1. "Hi"
Awkward pimpled teens, Marine Corp Historians, reality show craving moms, and post-psuedo-neo-punk-dropouts can all agree: 2006 was the year of 'Hi.' NASA sent out a probe to the outer limits of the milkyway repeating the one syllable salutation, while Jack Nicholson got 'hi' at the premier of 'The Departed.' One thing can definitely be said for this greeting with unstopable greeting power -- it will be a long time before we say 'bye' to 'hi.'