Photo credit: Reuters/Kieran Doherty

Have you heard?

Experts (who exactly are these “experts” I do wonder…) have already predicted that “Kate” (as in Middleton) will be a big buzzword in 2012.

I guess that’s not too surprising considering she is the Duchess of Cambridge and that the future king of England will be theoretically springing from her loins and all … not to mention the fact that she has the greatest hair ever (it’s gotta be extensions, right?!) and a razor-sharp eye for purchasing clothing on a budget that still looks like a million pounds (That’s a talent, y’all … and yes, I did just use y’all for added emphasis.)

* Breathe *

Here’s the predicted buzzword list for 2012, as reported by the Daily Mail. You’re welcome, America.

1. Kate: There are seven billion humans on the planet but sometimes it seems that it’s all about Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge
2. Olympiad: The Greeks measured time by the four-year interval between the Games, held in London next year
3. Middle Kingdom: There is little indication that China’s continuing economic surge will fade from the global media spotlight – or abate
4. Bak’tun: A cycle of 144,000 days in the Maya ‘Long Count’ Calendar This bak’tun ends on December 21, 2012, also being called the Mayan Apocalypse
5. Solar max: The peak 11-year sunspot cycle
6. The Election: No Obama-mania this time around, more of an Obama-ennui for the November 6 elections
7. Deficit: Looks like deficit-spending will plague Western democracies for at least the next decade
8. Rogue nukes: Iran and North Korea will be the focus of attention here
9. CERN: Neutrons travelling faster than light? The ‘God Particle’? The world ending in a mini-black hole? All these somehow revolve around CERN (The European Center for Nuclear Research)
10. Global Warming: The earth has been warming since New York was covered under a mountain of ice; what makes 2012 any different?
11. Near-Earth Asteroid: Yet another year, another asteroid, another near-miss.
12. Europe: United, breaking apart, saving the Euro, abandoning the Euro, with the UK again as an ‘interested onlooker’
Source: Global Language Monitor