What is Googlewack?

Don't Worry, It Only Sounds Dirty

Googlewack. It’s the most absurd word, don’t you agree? Well, it is also a fairly new pastime that is catching on like wildfire. To “Googlewack” is to type two words into the Google search engine, with no quotation marks, and get only one result. Other rules state that the Google result must link back to answers.com and that it must be a valid article, not a list of words on a site. 

Who came up with this crazy hobby? It first appeared on a website called UnBlinking and the man who coined the phrase “Googlewhack” is Gary Stock. This has become such a popular game that people have actually developed software that detects Googlewacks. This is frowned upon by purists who maintain that Googlewacking should be done manually, hunting out those single results like an animal.

People can go to whackstack.com to report their Googlewack finds and add them to a list. However, it is interesting to note the paradoxical nature of a Googlewack. One cannot seek glory for a Googlewhack without rendering it an invalid entry. Once the two-word phrase is mentioned on another site, it ceases to be a true Googlewack.

British comedian Dave Gorman has brought great publicity to the Googlewacking craze, touring with a show called “Dave Gorman’s Googlewack Adventure”. He also wrote a book based on his journey to seek out the discoverers of certain Googlewacks. His book contains many classic Googlewacks, including “dork turnspit”. Gorman’s previous career highlights include “Are You Dave Gorman?” a television program in which he finds other people with the same name as him.

Googlewacking is of cultural significance because of one reason, and that reason has nothing to do with computer technology or inventiveness of mind. No, it is important because it represents how exceedingly bored people have become. Are these people just apathetic, seeking out any mind-numbing activities they can to get through one more day? I think, yes.