How can you stop the Google search box coming up with previously
searched-for words as suggestions? This is on an Apple Mac 
Mini using Safari. I've tried
re-starting the computer, clearing history and emptying the cache.
Thanks.

bearded...

This will depend more on the browser you're using than the
fact that you're using a Mac. I don't have a Mac, and I'm
not sure if there are significant differences in the way
that the Safari browser functions from the way that IE
works, but try this technique and see whether it works:

Go to Google or any other search site you use. When you
left-click once or twice in the empty search box, a list
of previous searches appears, complete with scroll bar.

Now, you can highlight the very first entry with your 
cursor. If you want to delete only that entry, or any
other entry you highlight, just click on the Delete
key on your keyboard (not the backspace key, which you
might use to delete a letter or two in a word, but the
Delete key).

If you want to delete all the entries quickly, you can
just highlight the very first one, and then hold the 
Delete key down, instead of releasing it after it 
deletes one entry. This will rapidly scroll down
through the entire list, deleting as it goes.

If you want to be more selective, you can use the scroll
bar (easier to navigate) or move the cursor to the bottom
of the list to scroll to lower entries. Yet another way to
navigate the list is to leave the cursor in the search box
when the list appears. Then use the Up and Down scroll keys
on your keyboard to navigate through the list. Then just 
select the specific entries you want to remove, and tap on
the Delete key to remove them.

You can use this same method to erase selected items from
any form you encounter that generates a drop-down box of
possible entries. Just highlight the ones you want to delete,
and click on the Delete key.

If that doesn't work with Safari, let me know. I'm curious.


As for Safari, if you're using a version which has the
Reset feature, you can use that to clear Google search
queries, along with a lot of other data:

"The new 'Reset Safari' feature lets users erase browsing
 history, empty the browser cache, clear the Downloads
 window and remove cookies. It can also be used to clear
 Google search queries and remove any saved names and
 passwords or other AutoFill text."
http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/print.php/2190071

But you may want to be more selective by doing what
Google recommends on their support page, rather than
wiping out all the entries associated with AutoFill:

"CLEARING YOUR GOOGLE SEARCH BOX HISTORY"
----------------------------------------------------------
1. Go to the "Safari" menu and select "Preferences."
2. From the menus that pop up, select "Autofill."
3. Go to "Other forms" line and select the "Edit" button.
4. From the list of sites for which AutoFill is currently
   being applied, select "Google.com" > "Remove" > "Done."
----------------------------------------------------------
://www.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=465


Please do not rate this answer until you are satisfied that  
the answer cannot be improved upon by way of a dialog  
established through the "Request for Clarification" process. 
 
A user's guide on this topic is on skermit-ga's site, here: 
http://www.christopherwu.net/google_answers/answer_guide.html#how_clarify 
 
sublime1-ga


Searches done, via Google:

safari autocomplete
://www.google.com/search?q=safari+autocomplete

safari autofill
://www.google.com/search?q=safari+autofill

"safari" "google search history"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22google+search+history%22+mac

Thanks; a great answer. I actually found the "Reset Safari" command
just after I asked the question. Never mind - the other ways to sort
the prob will help too!