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We've all been there. You're in the middle of a conversation or a presentation and suddenly your mind goes blank. What was that basic word, the one that I really really should know? Your panicked reaction to this untimely brain freeze only makes things worse, as your mind desperately scrabbles for an alternative word meaning something similar. Any alternative. "Shiny crumb," was what University of Cambridge physicist Paul Coxon eventually blurted out, having inconveniently slipped over the word "photon," a term that he would otherwise casually refer to several times a day. Naturally, his fellow scientists found it hilarious that Paul, with a Ph.D. in physics, was capable of such a catastrophic brain fart. It happens to the best of us! Paul took to Twitter to share his funny mistake and found that he certainly isn't alone who's sometimes having trouble with English words!
"I was talking with a colleague about how we can control the routes photons, i.e., particles of light, can take as they pass through the various solar photovoltaic materials and my mind just went blank," Paul explained to Bored Panda. "We were in the department tea room and there were crumbs on the table so I guess my mind just jumped and switched photons - a word I must say dozens of times a day, for “shiny… crumbs”. I can’t properly describe it. We both saw the funny side."
"My department has lots of very bright students and researchers from all over the world and I have immense respect for my colleagues studying for PhDs in what may be their second or even third language." Since my Tweet, lots of people on Twitter replied sharing their own funny stories when their minds have gone blank and forgotten words, and lots have been hilarious. The human mind is remarkable."
"I’ve also received several very nice emails from people with cognitive conditions, or are undergoing medical treatment which can cause some language impairment, saying how much they enjoyed to see folk “even those with advanced degrees” struggling with describing words too and it made them feel less alone, knowing that it happens to everyone."
Scroll down to read people's own hilariously funny Tweets for yourself, and share your own in the comments!
Image credits: paulcoxon
Image credits: paulcoxon
This post may include affiliate links.
It turns out that this "tip of the tongue" phenomenon has a name: lethologica. Psychologists define the feeling as a feeling that accompanies the temporary inability to retrieve information from memory. Researchers have looked into lethologica and found some interesting aspects to this frustrating feeling.
The tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon is universal.Surveys suggest that around 90 percent of speakers of different languages from all over the world report experiencing moments where memories seem momentarily inaccessible.
These moments occur quite often and this frequency increases with age. Young people typically have tip-of-the-tongue moments about once each week, while older adults find that they may occur as often as once each day.
People often remember partial bits of information. For example, they may remember the letter the word they are searching for begins with or the number of syllables the word contains.
#5
Alexandru Bucur 5 years ago
As someone who speaks five languages fluently, that happens. All. The. Time. it is incredibly annoying - you'd be speaking along and suddenly, blank. The word you're looking for in French is just not there... and instead you brains offers you this Italian word, which might not even be the correct one, but just homonym and simply won't take no for an answer. Nine times out of ten I end up having to either resort to a third language, like English in order to avoid "Buffy Speak".
When you experience lethologica, you know that the word you are looking for is there, it's just tantalisingly outside of your grasp. It seems to have been closed off, behind some kind of mental brick wall. When something finally comes along to trigger the missing information, the sense of relief is real! There doesn't appear to be any particular reason why lethologica happens, beyond being simply tired, or perhaps the memory wasn't properly stored in the first place. Interestingly the phenomenon occurs more frequently in bilingual people, suggesting that the presence of competing words for the same meaning can have an interfering influence.
#6
Šimon Špaček 5 years ago
Sounds like one of my best friends who once asked for "woody music thingy with moving pins". Guitar was just too hard to remember...
So what can you do when you are struck by a "tip-of-the-tongue" moment? One tentative study suggests it could be as simple as squeezing your fist. "By clenching your left fist (or, theoretically, any significant portion of the left side of your body) you increase blood-flow to the contralateral or right hemisphere, which gives the retrieval mechanisms a lift," it is claimed. In the study they did a 90 second clench, but you can try shorter intervals for a possible memory boost. If nothing else it could relax your mind and help you to focus on something else, because the more you beat yourself up trying to remember the word, the harder it actually becomes.
#12
Alexandru Bucur 5 years ago
Now that is a good description of a tremolo. I think I'll adopt it.
#15
Christina Comboy Keller 5 years ago
My son couldn’t think of the name of his once favorite animal and kept referring to “lawn pigs” as if I should know exactly what he was talking about. It took me a minute to realize he was referring to ground hogs.
#19
Robert Thornburrow 5 years ago
That's almost a Malapropism. Some good ones are "The neighbours cooking fat just did its business in the garden again" and "Nancy is such a boiled sprat". We used have a clip show and I remember one reporter had trouble with "hypodermic needle" and called it a "hypodeemic nerdle". God bless Mrs Malaprop. :D
#22
Grazina Strolia 5 years ago
Okay, at this point it seems clear that even if we forget EVERY OTHER WORD, we will always remember the word puppy.
#23
Michel M. Prins 5 years ago
By saying that last thing it will immediately grab the attention of everyone, though.
#28
Alexandru Bucur 5 years ago
Ooh, good one. I'm stealing it and using it from now on. Next time someone chastises me that I should say "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays" because F- all those other cultures and religions which also have celebrations around that time, some of them a lot older than Christianity, I'm going to tell them I personally don't celebrate Christmas, I celebrate "Light Bush Day".
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What do you think ?
Christine Cameron 5 years ago
Worked with a gentleman who hadn't worked in 5 years due to a stroke and he'd forget words but replace them rather brilliantly without missing a beat. I'd made us all a meal once and he strolled into the kitchen an announced, "that was a meal fit for a rich castle man."
Max L. 5 years ago
The brain is a wonderful thing which know very little about. Damaged roads traffic jam will find another way for things to work. I remember a very intresting explanation by a friend who is a neurologist about the memory of who, of what, of when and of how.
Load More Replies...
Sioux White 5 years ago
I have a medical condition that causes me to forget words. I was trying to say washing machine to my daughter and using hand gestures to describe it, she looked at me and said perplexed " a clothes rollercoaster?"
Batman 5 years ago
Once I forgot that my jet was named the Batwing, so I said ‘bat-aeroplane’!
Load More Replies...
Mark Fuller 5 years ago
I'm rather fond of the occasion when I couldn't remember the word "lamb", so decided that "Sheeplet" would probably suffice. At least people knew what I meant!
Ashley Batty 5 years ago
I once forgot the word muffin at a restaurant, then proceeded to order a breakfast cupcake.
borklaser 5 years ago
Watching a movie with my four year old, she gets her words mixed up and asks "are we going to watch douchebags two, now?". We were watching goosebumps 2, and now goosebump is code word for someone we don't like because obviously we swear too much.
GiantSpaceTiger 5 years ago
Actually started blacking out with laughter from that. I picture you both being stoked to watch the movie because you enjoyed Douchebags 1 so much :D And there are so many movies that it could be the honest title of! But just imagine some Hollywood exec just throwing up his hands at the meeting to decide on a title, and saying: "you know what, guys, this meeting has gone on too long. We've all read the script, we know what we've got, here. It can't be hidden. Let's just come clean and give it to 'em straight. We'll just call the movie 'Douchebags' and have done with it. Later, a******s".
Load More Replies...
Jill Meyer Reisinger 5 years ago
One time I couldn't think of skull so I said skeleton head. My husband still won't leave me alone about it :)
trinity davis 5 years ago
Did it bother anyone else that there were parts of the story between the individual posts?
Kiss Army 5 years ago
I hate having to read aloud, I get nervous and screw up almost every time. When I was a very shy sophomore in high school, I was in a class with all seniors and we had a sub and had to read a play. The line I was supposed to read was "He hasn't been laid up in six years." Of course, my nerves got the best of me and caused me to screw up and say "He hasn't been laid in six years." I was horrified. I still cringe every time I think about it and it was back in 1987.
A 5 years ago
Describing to my grandpa what I'd done recently for school, I told him I performed necromancy instead of a necropsy.
egracec 5 years ago
Trying to become a professor of post mortem communication?
Load More Replies...
Joanna Guthrie 5 years ago
I once said 'in all seriosity' instead of 'seriousness'. I use it at every opportunity now. Also, Canadia.
Anna Repp 5 years ago
My daughter used to say "relaxment" instead of "relaxation" when she was younger. It is now an official word in our vocabulary!
Load More Replies...
Effseven Six 5 years ago
Once forgot the word rotisserie when going to Costco. Asking a worker where it was, I said "I've come for your chicken, juicy and good." He knew what I wanted and pointed me in the right direction.
Lindberg Erica 5 years ago
My boyfriend called a towel "shower blanket", and I will never let him forget it.
Suzanne Heffelfinger 5 years ago
Woke with a swollen uvula. When I got to work my boss asked why I was talk8ng so funny. Told her,it was because my vulva was so swollen. I wanted to crawl under the rug.
Merle Stroud 5 years ago
I was standing in front of my middle daughter once, and for the life of me could not remember her name. I looked at her and said what's your name again? Her response "nice Mom I knew I wasn't your favorite but this is ridiculous. I'm telling Dad."
Adam Francis 5 years ago
I was on the medication Topamax. It causes your brain to forget pronouns. I would forget everyone's name in the moment and would forget certain words all the time. I had to stop taking it because I'm back in school and can't afford to forget things, but I think the problem might be semi permanent.
María Hermida 5 years ago
I've just written about a similar experience. And it was Topamax, too. That was some years ago, and I think I'm back to normal now. So don't worry. Your body will get rid of the drug in due time. Just try not to get obsessed with it, because stress can make it worse. Good luck!
Load More Replies...
Elliott 5 years ago
My younger sister called Country Crock (the butter brand), Country C**k and that's the only thing we call it now.
MammaG 5 years ago
It's Country Crotch in our house. We think we're funny.
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SirWriteALot 5 years ago
Once said "It remembers me of ..." then stopped, and repeated "remembers ... " ... and I completely lost my bearings because I couldn't finish the sentence properly. That was during my final oral test in high school.
Amanda B 5 years ago
I forgot how to spell "how" once. It literally took me 3 minutes to figure out it didn't start with a "w"
Ann Abdelzaher 5 years ago
I've done this multiple times with Of... it is not OV... LOL
Load More Replies...
The Frog 5 years ago
I am forever forgetting my words, but my father is a writer and he insists I don't constantly use the word 'thingy' all the time (btw I'm 40). So we were talking about TV and I was explaining that I wanted a TV box with all the channels, but not sky with the UFO collinder thingy that sticks hangs off the side of the house, I come from a big family everyone was laughing and taking the mick.. Satellite dish is what I meant to say!
Sara Falcone 5 years ago
I'm a science teacher and I've heard too many times the biology mishap. One day I was repeating in my head "organisms not orgasms" to ensure I didn't say the wrong word.....it happened 🤦♀️
Lillukka79 5 years ago
My biochemistry teacher did this. "On this course we'll be studing the metabolism of orgasms." Happily it was a monday morning so most people didn't notice.😃
Load More Replies...
Elizabeth Joy 5 years ago
That was very enjoyable. I am an American Sign Language Interpreter and have this happen to me quite often. However, instead of describing things in English, I resort to wildly signing them in hopes that people will suddenly be able to understand ASL
Ann Abdelzaher 5 years ago
Been there done that.. IN college I took ASL and Spanish and I often found myself trying to substitute one or the other for a word I was missing in one of the languages... didn't quite work.
Load More Replies...
Carolina Marshall 5 years ago
I was shopping for dinner and I needed parsnips but I totally forgot their name so i called them ...anaemic carrots!
Shonni Kapono 5 years ago
I ran into a cousin and want to introduce him to my friend and forgot his name
Reilly Beryll 5 years ago
One day, I was walking in a Dollar General. Sitting in a cardboard box was a set of plastic spoons. I forgot the word “spoon”, so I yelled the first word that came to mind: “Forks!” The very next day, I saw a group of vultures by a carcass. I forgot the word vulture. Shouted that they were Turkeys. I’ll never live it down.
Karina Lozano 5 years ago (edited)
Once my sister was playing Pictionary with this well-regarded family from church. Someone drew a unicorn and my sister forgot the word and kept repeatedly yelling out "Horny Horse, its a horny horse!"
Melanie Linehan 5 years ago
My elderly aunt was trying to tell me she was moving in with her nephew and his family into a condom. I don't think it was a brainfart because when I tried to correct her, she looked at me puzzled, and said, "That's what I said, condom". Imagine being me, having to explain to your never been married religious elderly aunt, what a condom is. She turned 3 shadeds of red, and said OMG, I've been telling everyone, I'm moving to my nephews condom.
MammaG 5 years ago
I also had to correct someone who insisted they wanted to move into a condom.
Load More Replies...
Stormapotamus 5 years ago
bahahaha this spoke to me so much. I have thyroid disease which causes me a lot of brain fog and a lot of forgetting things. This happens to me on a daily.
Darryl Kerrigan 5 years ago
I lost my faith in the school system cos of mine: In my French mock exam I couldn't remember the French for Caravan (le Caravan btw), so copied the boy next to me 'Voiture de Camping' (Car of Camping). Got it wrong and no one pointed out that two boys had the same god-awful answer...
ivan bolitekurac 5 years ago
I speak 3 languages,this happens to me ALL the time.I am so glad others have this problem too.
Max L. 5 years ago
I was 12, in line to a record store to buy a copy of the 45rpm single to gift, a song from Grease soundtrack, Simon night.... I repeat couple of times because that didn't sound right. Simon... Simon.... No wasn't Simon... DAMN Im next... All of a sudden, I said it correctly without knowing. I swear right before hearing it, can't recall it right. I said it before having the word in mind, can't explain any better.
Daniel Åreskjold 5 years ago
I once forgot the word spatula, so instinctively decided to translate the Norwegian word directly (slikkepott) which resulted in calling it ‘licking pot’
Ganapathy Ramachandran 5 years ago
I forgot the word disperse. I was in a meeting with a subordinate and in a stern voice I said let's disassemble and meet back in 10 minutes. His look was worth capturing, but at least he understood.
Elizabeth Wilkins 5 years ago
As a Dental Hygenist I had a pregnant lady come in with an emergency broken tooth causing her a lot of pain. At the end of my exam and waiting on the dentist, I tell her "when you get done being pregnant, come in as soon as you are able and we will ......." yeah.... I forgot "give Birth". Thankfully it was a very good friend of mine.
Angelina Kedge 5 years ago
I have a health condition where I often get my words muddled up either saying a word similar in meaning or the complete opposite. I was trying to get my hyperactive son to come and eat his tea and in exasperation I shouted, “come and stand on the table!” It worked!
Ann Abdelzaher 5 years ago
ROFLMAO Thank god I am not the only one... I have random brain freezes all the time (I have a PhD in educational technology) my most recent one was I was trying to talk to my dad about different electronic things available now and I wanted to say gizmos but for some reason my brain just wouldn't let me and I said gazmos repeatedly.. gave up and tried to say gadgets and repeatedly said Gidgets.... so now my 10 year old won't let me forget about gazmos and gidgets.
Marci Barnishin 5 years ago
Was talking with my dad about jet planes when I (F) was about 14 and accidently asked about the "ejaculation seat" instead of the ejection seat.... still embarrassed 35 years later!
Jessica Vozel 5 years ago
Once my friend forgot the word for "parking ticket" and called it "a you're-in-trouble."
Klaudiia Sherbatzky 5 years ago
Once a customer came in where I work and I wanted to say hello but at the same time also hay. My brain froze and I said very loudly: HEIL Ps: I live in Austria and the costumer was from turkey I think xD (and I am polish) Yes classy
Ann Abdelzaher 5 years ago
LOL I do stuff like that a lot tried to say Hi and Hello at the same time came out a HI-LO do it with lots of other things but my son wins the trophy for that one night he wanted to say dinner was yummy and amazing and came up with Yumazing... so it's a word now in our house
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Martin Hamilton 5 years ago
My 64-year-old friend has terrible trouble with remembering what things are called. We embark on minute-long quests to find the topic of what he is referring to. Sometimes he pauses on every single noun. My mother started to have the same problem in her fifties.
JoBeth Rullman 5 years ago
My 3-year old daughter came running in the house sweaty from playing in the yard and asked me if I had any more underarm deodorizer. A much better term for deodorant, I think!
Chris Jones 5 years ago
You weren't putting deodorant on a three year old were you?
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Cori Turner 5 years ago
The exhaustion that comes from having a newborn in the house always cracks me up. My husband asked me the real name for an Australian Mini Bear. "You mean KOALA?!" Laughed for about 10 minutes.
ViolinLover 5 years ago
Once my tongue tangled itself a bit, so when I was planning to say gorgeous, I ended up saying something like “georgeous”
Becca Shepherd 5 years ago
It was Christmastime, and I forgot the name of Frosty the Snowman. So I called him the cold, fat white dude with a corncob pipe, and a button nose and two eyes made out of coal.
michal lev 5 years ago
My hubby once referred to our little lovebird as "the poor dog with wings"
Karen Demmans 5 years ago
I once forgot the word for freelance and came up with pay as you go writer
Farnaz Khoshbakht 5 years ago
the saddest part for me is when it happens to you as an immigrant and the first and only thing comes to ppls mind is that your damn English is so weak :( :(
Magpie 5 years ago
sympathy for any one learning english as a second language. I struggle often and its the only language I know.
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Shirin Kamer 5 years ago
This brain freeze happens to me often with spellings. Once while writing i forgot how the word W-H-I-C-H is spelt, had to avoid that simple word in the rest of the paper.
Gëë Bëë 5 years ago
I told my little sis about a colleague that would often complain that she had to much to do when she actually didn't and people would drop tools to help. I said its gonna catch up on her when she actually does have to much to do and nobody will help. My sis then goes on to say "oh thats like the man who shouts dog?"..............................Me - "you mean the boy that cried wolf".............Yup, thats what she meant.
Fern Baptista 5 years ago
While standing in a kitchen fullof people, I wanted to take a photo of everyone. Of course, I had misplaced my camera, as well as what it is called...stammering and struggling to find the words, I finally blurted out..."Has anyone seen my picture taking machine???" On another occasion, IN THAT SAME KITCHEN, my sister was talking about a movie she had seen, and she used the word 'orphan'. Well, it was like she was suddenly talking a foreign language. I repeated... "OR-PHAN... ORPH-AN...what is an 'orr-fan!?" I was thinking about Mork and Mindy, like maybe she meant an "Orkin"...suddenly, the light came on in my head, and I remembered the word! I'm staying out of that kitchen!
Greenfairytina 5 years ago
I totally blanked on the word "ditch" once and now will forever call them "hill valleys." It's just more fun. Lol
Peta Hurley-Hill 5 years ago
I do this all the time,luckily I have known my Husband for over 35 years ,so when I forget a word (the latest was "Shipping Container") I can say,"the big boxey,holdy stuff thing" and he knows exactly what I am talking about :)
Alma Diffie 5 years ago
I was working at a Macy’s when I was young and an old man came in to buy some clothes. He wanted his lifetime discount because he said he was “r******d.” He quickly caught himself and said “I meant retired.”
Janette Smith 5 years ago
My friend couldn’t remember the word guacamole and called it guacamokie
Christine Cameron 5 years ago
Worked with a gentleman who hadn't worked in 5 years due to a stroke and he'd forget words but replace them rather brilliantly without missing a beat. I'd made us all a meal once and he strolled into the kitchen an announced, "that was a meal fit for a rich castle man."
Max L. 5 years ago
The brain is a wonderful thing which know very little about. Damaged roads traffic jam will find another way for things to work. I remember a very intresting explanation by a friend who is a neurologist about the memory of who, of what, of when and of how.
Load More Replies... Sioux White 5 years ago
I have a medical condition that causes me to forget words. I was trying to say washing machine to my daughter and using hand gestures to describe it, she looked at me and said perplexed " a clothes rollercoaster?"
Batman 5 years ago
Once I forgot that my jet was named the Batwing, so I said ‘bat-aeroplane’!
Load More Replies... Mark Fuller 5 years ago
I'm rather fond of the occasion when I couldn't remember the word "lamb", so decided that "Sheeplet" would probably suffice. At least people knew what I meant!
Ashley Batty 5 years ago
I once forgot the word muffin at a restaurant, then proceeded to order a breakfast cupcake.
borklaser 5 years ago
Watching a movie with my four year old, she gets her words mixed up and asks "are we going to watch douchebags two, now?". We were watching goosebumps 2, and now goosebump is code word for someone we don't like because obviously we swear too much.
GiantSpaceTiger 5 years ago
Actually started blacking out with laughter from that. I picture you both being stoked to watch the movie because you enjoyed Douchebags 1 so much :D And there are so many movies that it could be the honest title of! But just imagine some Hollywood exec just throwing up his hands at the meeting to decide on a title, and saying: "you know what, guys, this meeting has gone on too long. We've all read the script, we know what we've got, here. It can't be hidden. Let's just come clean and give it to 'em straight. We'll just call the movie 'Douchebags' and have done with it. Later, a******s".
Load More Replies... Jill Meyer Reisinger 5 years ago
One time I couldn't think of skull so I said skeleton head. My husband still won't leave me alone about it :)
trinity davis 5 years ago
Did it bother anyone else that there were parts of the story between the individual posts?
Kiss Army 5 years ago
I hate having to read aloud, I get nervous and screw up almost every time. When I was a very shy sophomore in high school, I was in a class with all seniors and we had a sub and had to read a play. The line I was supposed to read was "He hasn't been laid up in six years." Of course, my nerves got the best of me and caused me to screw up and say "He hasn't been laid in six years." I was horrified. I still cringe every time I think about it and it was back in 1987.
A 5 years ago
Describing to my grandpa what I'd done recently for school, I told him I performed necromancy instead of a necropsy.
egracec 5 years ago
Trying to become a professor of post mortem communication?
Load More Replies... Joanna Guthrie 5 years ago
I once said 'in all seriosity' instead of 'seriousness'. I use it at every opportunity now. Also, Canadia.
Anna Repp 5 years ago
My daughter used to say "relaxment" instead of "relaxation" when she was younger. It is now an official word in our vocabulary!
Load More Replies... Effseven Six 5 years ago
Once forgot the word rotisserie when going to Costco. Asking a worker where it was, I said "I've come for your chicken, juicy and good." He knew what I wanted and pointed me in the right direction.
Lindberg Erica 5 years ago
My boyfriend called a towel "shower blanket", and I will never let him forget it.
Suzanne Heffelfinger 5 years ago
Woke with a swollen uvula. When I got to work my boss asked why I was talk8ng so funny. Told her,it was because my vulva was so swollen. I wanted to crawl under the rug.
Merle Stroud 5 years ago
I was standing in front of my middle daughter once, and for the life of me could not remember her name. I looked at her and said what's your name again? Her response "nice Mom I knew I wasn't your favorite but this is ridiculous. I'm telling Dad."
Adam Francis 5 years ago
I was on the medication Topamax. It causes your brain to forget pronouns. I would forget everyone's name in the moment and would forget certain words all the time. I had to stop taking it because I'm back in school and can't afford to forget things, but I think the problem might be semi permanent.
María Hermida 5 years ago
I've just written about a similar experience. And it was Topamax, too. That was some years ago, and I think I'm back to normal now. So don't worry. Your body will get rid of the drug in due time. Just try not to get obsessed with it, because stress can make it worse. Good luck!
Load More Replies... Elliott 5 years ago
My younger sister called Country Crock (the butter brand), Country C**k and that's the only thing we call it now.
MammaG 5 years ago
It's Country Crotch in our house. We think we're funny.
Load More Replies... SirWriteALot 5 years ago
Once said "It remembers me of ..." then stopped, and repeated "remembers ... " ... and I completely lost my bearings because I couldn't finish the sentence properly. That was during my final oral test in high school.
Amanda B 5 years ago
I forgot how to spell "how" once. It literally took me 3 minutes to figure out it didn't start with a "w"
Ann Abdelzaher 5 years ago
I've done this multiple times with Of... it is not OV... LOL
Load More Replies... The Frog 5 years ago
I am forever forgetting my words, but my father is a writer and he insists I don't constantly use the word 'thingy' all the time (btw I'm 40). So we were talking about TV and I was explaining that I wanted a TV box with all the channels, but not sky with the UFO collinder thingy that sticks hangs off the side of the house, I come from a big family everyone was laughing and taking the mick.. Satellite dish is what I meant to say!
Sara Falcone 5 years ago
I'm a science teacher and I've heard too many times the biology mishap. One day I was repeating in my head "organisms not orgasms" to ensure I didn't say the wrong word.....it happened 🤦♀️
Lillukka79 5 years ago
My biochemistry teacher did this. "On this course we'll be studing the metabolism of orgasms." Happily it was a monday morning so most people didn't notice.😃
Load More Replies... Elizabeth Joy 5 years ago
That was very enjoyable. I am an American Sign Language Interpreter and have this happen to me quite often. However, instead of describing things in English, I resort to wildly signing them in hopes that people will suddenly be able to understand ASL
Ann Abdelzaher 5 years ago
Been there done that.. IN college I took ASL and Spanish and I often found myself trying to substitute one or the other for a word I was missing in one of the languages... didn't quite work.
Load More Replies... Carolina Marshall 5 years ago
I was shopping for dinner and I needed parsnips but I totally forgot their name so i called them ...anaemic carrots!
Shonni Kapono 5 years ago
I ran into a cousin and want to introduce him to my friend and forgot his name
Reilly Beryll 5 years ago
One day, I was walking in a Dollar General. Sitting in a cardboard box was a set of plastic spoons. I forgot the word “spoon”, so I yelled the first word that came to mind: “Forks!” The very next day, I saw a group of vultures by a carcass. I forgot the word vulture. Shouted that they were Turkeys. I’ll never live it down.
Karina Lozano 5 years ago (edited)
Once my sister was playing Pictionary with this well-regarded family from church. Someone drew a unicorn and my sister forgot the word and kept repeatedly yelling out "Horny Horse, its a horny horse!"
Melanie Linehan 5 years ago
My elderly aunt was trying to tell me she was moving in with her nephew and his family into a condom. I don't think it was a brainfart because when I tried to correct her, she looked at me puzzled, and said, "That's what I said, condom". Imagine being me, having to explain to your never been married religious elderly aunt, what a condom is. She turned 3 shadeds of red, and said OMG, I've been telling everyone, I'm moving to my nephews condom.
MammaG 5 years ago
I also had to correct someone who insisted they wanted to move into a condom.
Load More Replies... Stormapotamus 5 years ago
bahahaha this spoke to me so much. I have thyroid disease which causes me a lot of brain fog and a lot of forgetting things. This happens to me on a daily.
Darryl Kerrigan 5 years ago
I lost my faith in the school system cos of mine: In my French mock exam I couldn't remember the French for Caravan (le Caravan btw), so copied the boy next to me 'Voiture de Camping' (Car of Camping). Got it wrong and no one pointed out that two boys had the same god-awful answer...
ivan bolitekurac 5 years ago
I speak 3 languages,this happens to me ALL the time.I am so glad others have this problem too.
Max L. 5 years ago
I was 12, in line to a record store to buy a copy of the 45rpm single to gift, a song from Grease soundtrack, Simon night.... I repeat couple of times because that didn't sound right. Simon... Simon.... No wasn't Simon... DAMN Im next... All of a sudden, I said it correctly without knowing. I swear right before hearing it, can't recall it right. I said it before having the word in mind, can't explain any better.
Daniel Åreskjold 5 years ago
I once forgot the word spatula, so instinctively decided to translate the Norwegian word directly (slikkepott) which resulted in calling it ‘licking pot’
Ganapathy Ramachandran 5 years ago
I forgot the word disperse. I was in a meeting with a subordinate and in a stern voice I said let's disassemble and meet back in 10 minutes. His look was worth capturing, but at least he understood.
Elizabeth Wilkins 5 years ago
As a Dental Hygenist I had a pregnant lady come in with an emergency broken tooth causing her a lot of pain. At the end of my exam and waiting on the dentist, I tell her "when you get done being pregnant, come in as soon as you are able and we will ......." yeah.... I forgot "give Birth". Thankfully it was a very good friend of mine.
Angelina Kedge 5 years ago
I have a health condition where I often get my words muddled up either saying a word similar in meaning or the complete opposite. I was trying to get my hyperactive son to come and eat his tea and in exasperation I shouted, “come and stand on the table!” It worked!
Ann Abdelzaher 5 years ago
ROFLMAO Thank god I am not the only one... I have random brain freezes all the time (I have a PhD in educational technology) my most recent one was I was trying to talk to my dad about different electronic things available now and I wanted to say gizmos but for some reason my brain just wouldn't let me and I said gazmos repeatedly.. gave up and tried to say gadgets and repeatedly said Gidgets.... so now my 10 year old won't let me forget about gazmos and gidgets.
Marci Barnishin 5 years ago
Was talking with my dad about jet planes when I (F) was about 14 and accidently asked about the "ejaculation seat" instead of the ejection seat.... still embarrassed 35 years later!
Jessica Vozel 5 years ago
Once my friend forgot the word for "parking ticket" and called it "a you're-in-trouble."
Klaudiia Sherbatzky 5 years ago
Once a customer came in where I work and I wanted to say hello but at the same time also hay. My brain froze and I said very loudly: HEIL Ps: I live in Austria and the costumer was from turkey I think xD (and I am polish) Yes classy
Ann Abdelzaher 5 years ago
LOL I do stuff like that a lot tried to say Hi and Hello at the same time came out a HI-LO do it with lots of other things but my son wins the trophy for that one night he wanted to say dinner was yummy and amazing and came up with Yumazing... so it's a word now in our house
Load More Replies... Martin Hamilton 5 years ago
My 64-year-old friend has terrible trouble with remembering what things are called. We embark on minute-long quests to find the topic of what he is referring to. Sometimes he pauses on every single noun. My mother started to have the same problem in her fifties.
JoBeth Rullman 5 years ago
My 3-year old daughter came running in the house sweaty from playing in the yard and asked me if I had any more underarm deodorizer. A much better term for deodorant, I think!
Chris Jones 5 years ago
You weren't putting deodorant on a three year old were you?
Load More Replies... Cori Turner 5 years ago
The exhaustion that comes from having a newborn in the house always cracks me up. My husband asked me the real name for an Australian Mini Bear. "You mean KOALA?!" Laughed for about 10 minutes.
ViolinLover 5 years ago
Once my tongue tangled itself a bit, so when I was planning to say gorgeous, I ended up saying something like “georgeous”
Becca Shepherd 5 years ago
It was Christmastime, and I forgot the name of Frosty the Snowman. So I called him the cold, fat white dude with a corncob pipe, and a button nose and two eyes made out of coal.
michal lev 5 years ago
My hubby once referred to our little lovebird as "the poor dog with wings"
Karen Demmans 5 years ago
I once forgot the word for freelance and came up with pay as you go writer
Farnaz Khoshbakht 5 years ago
the saddest part for me is when it happens to you as an immigrant and the first and only thing comes to ppls mind is that your damn English is so weak :( :(
Magpie 5 years ago
sympathy for any one learning english as a second language. I struggle often and its the only language I know.
Load More Replies... Shirin Kamer 5 years ago
This brain freeze happens to me often with spellings. Once while writing i forgot how the word W-H-I-C-H is spelt, had to avoid that simple word in the rest of the paper.
Gëë Bëë 5 years ago
I told my little sis about a colleague that would often complain that she had to much to do when she actually didn't and people would drop tools to help. I said its gonna catch up on her when she actually does have to much to do and nobody will help. My sis then goes on to say "oh thats like the man who shouts dog?"..............................Me - "you mean the boy that cried wolf".............Yup, thats what she meant.
Fern Baptista 5 years ago
While standing in a kitchen fullof people, I wanted to take a photo of everyone. Of course, I had misplaced my camera, as well as what it is called...stammering and struggling to find the words, I finally blurted out..."Has anyone seen my picture taking machine???" On another occasion, IN THAT SAME KITCHEN, my sister was talking about a movie she had seen, and she used the word 'orphan'. Well, it was like she was suddenly talking a foreign language. I repeated... "OR-PHAN... ORPH-AN...what is an 'orr-fan!?" I was thinking about Mork and Mindy, like maybe she meant an "Orkin"...suddenly, the light came on in my head, and I remembered the word! I'm staying out of that kitchen!
Greenfairytina 5 years ago
I totally blanked on the word "ditch" once and now will forever call them "hill valleys." It's just more fun. Lol
Peta Hurley-Hill 5 years ago
I do this all the time,luckily I have known my Husband for over 35 years ,so when I forget a word (the latest was "Shipping Container") I can say,"the big boxey,holdy stuff thing" and he knows exactly what I am talking about :)
Alma Diffie 5 years ago
I was working at a Macy’s when I was young and an old man came in to buy some clothes. He wanted his lifetime discount because he said he was “r******d.” He quickly caught himself and said “I meant retired.”
Janette Smith 5 years ago
My friend couldn’t remember the word guacamole and called it guacamokie
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