"It actually ended a couple weeks ago," said Martin Vanderhorst, head of Meaningless Monikers, Inc. "We didn't get around to notifying Chinese authorities until today. They're pretty peeved, to say the least."

Vanderhorst's organization applies "vapid, hyped-up labels" to all kinds of would-be up-and-comers. "Back in the '90s, we called guys like Harold Miner and LaBradford Smith the next Michael Jordan," Vanderhorst said. "Oops."

Vanderhorst and others have been calling the 21st century the "Chinese Century," a nod to the country's vast resources (both natural and human), quickly modernizing military forces, improved General Tso's chicken, and educated middle-class.

But, much to the chagrin of Vanderhorst, N.Y. Times columnist Thomas Friedman, and other critics, the U.S.A. is not ready to give up its stranglehold on "the country of the century" yet. America and Britain shared top dog honors in the 19th century, while the U.S.A. clearly owned the 20th.

"And we're gunnin' for the 21st, too," said President Bush. "To discard the United States at this point in history is a...uh...a great misinformedingly."

One analyst said another nickname for China's dominance, the "Sino-Century," was "kind of awkward" and was "definitely a factor" in rescinding the 21st century honor.

"I'm not sure who's ready to fill the vacuum as country of the century," Vanderhorst said. "The U.S. sounds good, what the hell...what I AM sure of is this: the 21st century won't belong to Uzbekistan or Zimbabwe."