You know, when you’ve got that perfect word on the tip of your tongue and you can’t say it? It’s usually followed by the suddenly inability to provide a coherent definition of said word to those around you.
It may result in pulling your hair out, screaming into a pillow and kicking a doorframe. Not that I would do that, mind you, I like my hair, screaming into a pillow is exhausting and if you kick a doorframe, the only one hurt is yourself. (and it hurts worse than a stubbed toe!).
Of course, by the time you have already engaged in such mental gymnastics, you’ve probably already ruled out every possibility of what the word is not. If you’re used to working with words on a daily basis, then three’s the charm. By the time you find the third person to listen to your incoherent definition, then you’ll have remembered the necessary word yourself.
The proper response is then to politely thank your helper and then find a nice big rock to hide-er-sit on and have a calming cup of tea.
The return to whatever it is you were doing and type/write the correct word.
Proceed with life as usual.
And yes, that’s what I was doing a half-minute ago. Minus the hair-pulling, screaming and walking-er-kicking doorframes. Want to take a guess? My ridiculous definition was : the thing that happens between two people when one person wants the other one to check up on them. You know, like when you’re eating or exercising or something.
Yes. I know that is a perfectly random description, but can you tell what the word is? I’ll mention it tomorrow, if I can still remember it…
