Refudiate, Spillcam, Vuvuzela Top Words of 2010

Had the buzzing sounds of South Africa's vuvuzelas been broadcast on the spillcam showing the millions of gallons of BP's oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico during the summer, the pairing would have combined the top two English words of 2010.

"Spillcam" topped "vuvuzela" as the No. 1 word of the year, the Texas-based Global Language Monitor announced Monday. Chinese President Hu Jintao was named the year's top name with "anger and rage" as the top phrase.

The firm says it culls words used among the world's 1.58 billion English speakers to rank the top 10 names, phrases and words. Usage of the top two words rose following the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and the World Cup competition in South Africa respectively.

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Politics left its mark on the list. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's accidental entry into the dictionary - "refudiate," a combination of the words "refute" and "repudiate" - finished the year at No. 4. (Scroll down to watch video of Palin coining refudiate) Also, "the narrative," which the firm says is replacing the need for a political party platform, has seen an uptick in usage and closed the year at No. 3.

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Likewise, the 2010 midterm elections took their toll on the English language with "deficit" ranking No. 6 on the list and "shellacking" - President Obama's description of how Democrats fared in the elections - at the No. 9 spot. (Scroll down to watch video of Obama using the word)

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The list rounded out with "Guido" and "Guidette" - the "Jersey Shore" take on guys and dolls - at No. 5, last winter's East Coast and European storms, or "Snowpocalypse," at No. 7 and "simplexity," used to describe an attempt to simplify an explanation for a complex process resulting in making it sound more complex, at No. 10.

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Each list for the top words, phrases and names are below:

Top Words
1. Spillcam
2. Vuvuzela
3. The Narrative
4. Refudiate
5. Guido and Guidette
6. Deficit
7. Snowmaggedden and Snowpocalypse
8. 3-D
9. Shellacking
10. Simplexity

Top Phrases
1. Anger and Rage
2. Climate Change
3. The Great Recession
4. Teachable Moment
5. Tea Party
6. Ambush Marketing
7. Lady Gaga
8. Man Up
9. Pass the bill to be able to see what's in it
10. Obamamania

Top Names
1. Chinese President Hu Jintao
2. iPad
3. President Obama
4. Chilean Coal Miners
5. Eyjafjallajoekull
6. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
7. French President Nicholas Sarkozy
8. Tea Party
9. Jersey Shore
10. British Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg