Ah, the word “whip” so many meanings, so much intent, at least if you have your mind in the gutter!

Google assumes that my primary interest is in an obscure baseball “sabermetric statistic” (which isn’t even a word according to my spellcheck.

What’s more, Wikipedia (the #1 result) even has an intelligent-looking equation that explains everything about WHIPping your baseball stats. ‘triffic!

That being NOT my intent at all, Google serves up another couple of Wikipedia results telling of a whip “a tool traditionally used by humans to exert control over animals or other people” and whip “an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline” – not really much difference.

My favorites of not too many inspiring favorites in the SERP are from The RuneScape Wiki – “see lucky abyssal whip” NOTE TO SELF – avoid the “unlucky abyssal whip” if you want to live a fruitful and productive life… and the little snippet from WHIP Student Radio. whip. Click the Logo to Continue… “please sir… can I have another?”

Finally.. if you’ve read this far…

IF you want to learn how to crack a whip (you’d probably be smart enough to search for “whip cracking” but I digress) – David Morgan offers insight into the Art of Whip Cracking – and a number of books – at his website DavidMorgan.com – and David, please send my share of your affiliate profits to my home address. You’ll know it.

The sound of whip cracking is easily heard through the thin curtains.

I happen to love fishsticks (or fish fingers as I grew up with) – the challenge is that Google doesn’t know that.

So when I’m searching for this British ‘delicacy’ I get a fishy South Park episode as #1 followed by the Wikipedia explanation of that episode, followed by the history of fishsticks (also from Wikipedia)

No thought from Google that I may actually be looking for something to eat when I search for a food… *obviously* Google believes my intent is to look for something funny…

Why else would they present me with the Urban Dictionary meaning… “Something that implies Kanye West is a gay fish”?

Okay… I’m smiling.

So what would *you* think you’d be looking for with the search query “stick”?

Seems it’s a mix of Stick Figure movies, stick games, and yes…stick death!

Nestled in there too is “Stickam” – what appears to be a Video Chat community and rounding off the top 9, “The Stick” something that Google may need to relieve “soreness and injury” (thanks to the FTC anti trust investigation!)

Nothing about a wooden object though… obviously google skews results towards intent based primarily on online ‘stuff’.

Based on Googles interpretation of intent, “hack” has a lot more importance to users as a “Japanese multimedia franchise” than to “cut, notch, slice, chop, or sever” and even beyond just a good ole’ cough!

If you look way down at #10, Google also thinks you’re looking for the best way to hack a Coke Machine. < cough >

Interesting… Google interprets my search query intent on “balls” as: Sony ‘balls’ commercial, “balldroppings” or “blue balls” – ouch.