The Google Zeitgeist page is a regularly updated collection of information related to the search behavior of Google users.
They describe it as “a cumulative snapshot of interesting queries people are asking some over time, some within country domains, and some on Google.com that perhaps reveal a bit of the human condition.”
You can also see search trends in your region by visiting Zeitgeist by Country which shows information relating to the searches made by Google’s global community of users.
Besides Zeitgeist This Month, you can check the top Google News Queries (Popular Newsmakers of September 2005 were hurricane katrina, hurricane rita, new orleans, kate moss and angelina jolie in that order), and popular Google Image Search Queries (Popular Women of September 2005 are still paris hilton, britney spears, pamela anderson, jessica alba and jessica simpson in that order)
And the Top 5 Gaining Queries for Week Ending November 7, 2005 were puggle, cardinal panthers cheerleaders, terrell owens, thanksgiving and chicken little (many of those I have never heard of before)
So keep checking back on Google Zeitgeist to see the latest search patterns and trends.
You might also like to check which maintains a regular weekly list of most popular search terms on lycos and shows rising and falling popularity of search terms.