That word in the number one spot was, indeed, unavoidable in 2004. It deserves it. I can't understand why people would flock to look up a word like cicada, however.

Presumably the cicada searches were something to do with this:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/03/0329_040329_cicadas.html

Most of them seem fairly clear as emerging from US political debate and/or current affairs reports in 2004. Not sure about peloton, though...

Neij

Rethabile: I actually researched cicada earlier this year (not in the Merriam-Webster though)! I had heard a story on the news about cicadas that stay 17 years underground, then wake up and cause havoc and I wanted to check that I had heard right (17 years???).

Neij: I also wondered about peloton... Are we talking about sports or war here?

Hmm, I thought I knew peloton with reference to the Tour de France (presumably the main body or pack of cyclists) but I didn't know any military connection. Trusty old Collins Robert tells me it's a platoon.

But I've never heard it in any connection in ENGLISH!

I assure you that the cicadas were very real. I live at the epicenter of where Brood X emerged, and they were everywhere, making a racket & clinging onto everything. I don't mind insects really, but it was quite amusing to watch squeamish people slinking around outdoors, waving their arms about as the clumsy insects (notoriously bad fliers) flew into their hair.

Here's an amusing link that shows the decline of the bugs' visit:
http://curiouslee.typepad.com/weblog/2004/06/bye_bye_bugs.html

FWIW, "peloton" means "fearless" in Finnish.

Not that I think that's what people were searching for, of course...

Christian R. Conrad
Helsinki, Finland