'The Naughts' is perfect name for this decade

Does anybody really know what time it is?

- Chicago

We're now about halfway through the new century's first decade, and we still haven't resolved a problem.

We don't know what to call it.

This used to be pretty easy.

Remember decades of the past? The '40s, the '50s and the '60s?

Why, the '70s even has its own TV show.

We throw these number names around all the time. They are code words for a package of trends and behaviors and memories that we use to quickly stereotype 10 years of our lives.

But what do we call this first decade of the 21st century?

"The double-Os"? "The Aughts"? "The Bush Years"?

So far, the generic catch-all seems to be "the first decade of the 21st century."

That's sort of long and slightly formal, but I can't think of anything else.

I also can't think of the decade presenting an emerging theme, at least not a theme I like to contemplate.

Let's see ... there were the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the war in Iraq, the recent tsunami and the deaths of a lot of famous old guys - Bob Hope, Ronald Reagan and Ray Charles.

Actually, if we look back far enough, we find the first decade of the last century faced a similar challenge. It sort of peaked with the Wright brothers and then never really got off the ground.

But it did get a nickname - The Naughts.

We might as well dust it off and use it again.

Just look at the definition: "Nothing, worthless, useless, wicked, evil, not in the least; to defy, scorn."

We're certainly off to a good start on a bad decade.

Naughts it is.

Reach Bill Kirby at (706) 823-3344 or bill.kirby@augustachronicle.com.