N

O ONE can ever know for sure what others are thinking, but one way of taking the world’s mental temperature is to look at which words are top of people’s minds.

For this we have Google. If you enter “how to spell” in the search bar, it will give you a list of the words most frequently looked up in the past day. A team of bored Google employees had some fun with this recently by doing the same exercise every day for four months in all 50 of the United States (the search engine also analyses by region). They collated their results and “Google’s breakdown of what Americans don’t know how to spell, state by state” was published by the Washington Post.

Breakdown indeed. According to this report, the word that most confuses inhabitants of Wisconsin is “Wisconsin”. In Tennessee they are wildly casting about for the spelling of “chaos” and in South Dakota the most misspelt word is “college”.

One can only speculate on the reasons for some of the searches. In Arkansas and South Carolina, most Google users want to know how to spell “chihuahua”. This is admittedly a difficult word, but why such a rush on it? In all likelihood a chihuahua won Best in Show at the Arkansas tiny-dog championships, or perhaps a chihuahua saved a toddler from a house fire in South Carolina and now everyone wants one.

It is harder to fathom why “giraffe” should be the most searched-for spelling in Louisiana. Again, we can surmise that giraffes featured large in the local news. Perhaps a giraffe plucked a toddler from the window of a burning building.

You’d think those who live in Mississippi would be afflicted with the same patriotic anxiety as the citizens of Wisconsin about the spelling of their own state’s name, but instead the word that flummoxes most Mississippians is “nanny”. Perhaps a nanny saved a toddler from a flaming nursery and now everyone wants one.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 20)

Yay! Earnings are up and money looks fabulous. It’s a success week, so figure out what the word means for you. No vague fantasies. Desires must be clear enough to be understood in any language. If you’re not sure, write them down. That brilliant mind is on a roll, so harness the thoughts for longer than five seconds, and you’ll amaze yourself. Love couldn’t be happier.

CANCER (June 21 – Jul 22)

Linen suits are your look for the week. Success and successful people are in your wake — and you want to look the part. The usual answers are no longer sufficient, and you’re looking elsewhere for your vision. Last week’s full moon gave you the courage to change direction. This week’s power planets give you the oomph. Put one foot in front of the other. The universe will take care of the rest.

LEO (Jul 23 – Aug 22)

It’s your week to do everything you want. And yes, that does sound mildly selfish. But as soon as you’re happy, you’ll be delighted to help out anywhere you can. So go ahead — indulge your every whim. Aside from anything else, you have fantastic financial instincts and an ability to talk your way round tight corners. So, for now, risks are there to be taken. You’re a winner on the way to collect your winnings.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sep 22)

Keen to hang on to the lover? You’ll need to master the art of compromise. Not everyone has your discernment, so you’ll have to be the bigger person here. If you want out, here’s your chance. The planets are transforming your understanding of love, so seize the moment. The career looks fantastic. Only exhaustion levels are holding you back. Get some rest. Stop taking yourself so seriously.

LIBRA (Sep 23 – Oct 22)

You’re looking dazzling enough to stop traffic — but you have other fish to fry. The career is sizzling, and money is strolling casually in. Soon you’ll be able to have that languid afternoon you dream about. And while you’re mulling over that, be good to your friends. You need them. And in the event they’re in short supply, leave the house. Meetings with fabulous people are on offer.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 – Nov 21)

I don’t really want to know why people in New Hampshire are running to Google to find out how to spell “diarrhea” (which we spell diarrhoea). There must be something going around, because in Alabama, Maine, Michigan and Washington, everyone appears to be looking up “pneumonia” and in Utah the spelling priority is “disease”.

In Wyoming they are looking for “priority”, in Oregon for “sense” and in Montana for “surprise”. Isn’t everybody? No surprise that in the practical states of Texas and Missouri they are eager to spell “maintenance” correctly. Pennsylvanians, meanwhile, are asking about “sauerkraut”.

Good things must have happened in Delaware and Indiana, because the spelling conundrum that preoccupies people in those states is “hallelujah”. In New Mexico there has been a stampede to find out how to spell “bananas”. In Hawaii they are searching for “people” and in Colorado the focus is on “tomorrow”. In Nebraska the word du jour is “suspicious” and in Nevada it is “available”. Could there be a link?

What about South Africa? You might think that the Google engine in these parts would be flooded with requests for how to spell “recession” or “capture” or “chameleon”, but when I tried this experiment the top two word searches under “how do you spell” were “love” and “desert”. This is encouraging, assuming it has nothing to do with drought and “dessert” is what people are really after. Perhaps we’re not so bad after all.

As a caveat, consider that in Donald Trump’s home state of New York, where the chief pumpkin might be asking his minions to research a strange concept called “manners”, most denizens are asking Google how to spell “beautiful”. Seems when a word is not much needed it doesn’t take long for people to forget how to spell it. LS Emotional harmony is more important than career now. Which is fine. Your focus is on home (maybe moving or renovating), where you’re spending most of your time — for a change. Invite some friends. And delay the bigger plans until you feel better equipped to make the right choices. Don’t fret about finances. The money will be there when you need it. Tides must flow out as well as in.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

It would appear “the truth”, whatever that means to you, has suddenly become incredibly important. But before you start enlightening everyone about the meaning of life, remember truth is an individual concept. On the job front, meanwhile, this could be a good time to think about going on your own. Before you leave safety nets though, find ways to make your new life pay.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

All that shy, hiding out rubbish has to end this week. The planets have had enough of your fence-sitting and want commitment. If it’s a question of trust, think about how much you trust your own feelings before making demands on anyone else. Don’t go making cruel accusations without proof. Tolerance and acceptance are the words you’re looking for. You’re not that easy to deal with either.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

It’s virtually impossible for you to be anything less than fabulously impressive and delightfully opinionated. But perhaps you could try. This is not the time to demand your own way. In fact, you need some practice in letting them feel as though they’ve won. Great social delights will result. After which, you can open your big mouth again. The world is always fascinated by your thoughts.