As we were trolling through the search logs, we were struck by the magnitude of cute searches. So in honor of the weekend, we decided to take a bit more of an 'adorable' approach to the column today. By the way, we don't mean the types of searches that tug at ones heart strings like 'little puppies,' or ones like your child's 'smiling eyes.' Nor do we mean queries for CUTE - Clean Urban Transport for Europe, but actual searches that include the adjective 'cute.'

After a bit of digging, we quickly found that the word cute was the shortened form of the word acute in the sense "intensely perceptive or discerning, shrewd." Cute is a good example of how a shortened form of a word can take on a life of its own, developing a sense that dissociates it from the longer word from which it was derived. This meaning for cute is first recorded in a dictionary published in 1731. The first recorded 'cute' came to be used as a word for pretty, fetching, first recorded with reference to "gals" in 1838.

Regardless of the history of the word cute, here are the 30 most requested searches which include the term 'cute.' By far, our favorite query is ' cute bitchy sayings.' Have a fetching weekend.

1. Cute Quotes
2. Cute Short Haircuts
3. Cute Backgrounds
4. Cute Icon
5. Cute Stuff For Aim Profile
6. Cute Teen Quotes
7. Cute Love Quotes
8. Aim Cute Things For Profile
9. Cute Animated Star Backgrounds
10. Cute Baby Names

11. Cute Free Layouts
12. Cute Names For Girl Dogs
13. Cute Nicknames
14. Cute 'Lil Quotes
15. Cute Profile Quotes
16. Cute Choppy Hairstyles
17. Cute Graphics
18. Free Cute Backgrounds
19. Cute Hairstyles
20. Cute Screen Names

21. Cute Boy Quotes
22. Cute Dog Small
23. Cute Girl Tattoos
24. Cute Short Hair Styles
25. Cute Things For Profiles
26. Cute Boyfriend Quotes
27. Cute Names
28. Cute Bitchy Sayings
29. List Of Cute Nicknames
30. Cute Tattoos

MONDAY: The latest 'One to Watch'...

Dean Tsouvalas can be reached at The_Lycos_50@lycos-inc.com