this post was submitted on 13 Jan 2024
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted, clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts: 1

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Looking it up just kinda feels like cheating, y'know? Or at least throwing in the towel.

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[–] [email protected] 40 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] HonoraryMancunian 7 points 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I was going to say “old age” but, yeah, stubborn is definitely the personality trait. :-)

[–] exixx 21 points 1 year ago (3 children)

There's probably a word for it in German or Swedish. I bet it's long and hard to pronounce, maybe with a non-English pronunciation symbol.

[–] jasep 6 points 1 year ago

Google translate says "Zungenspitze" is the German word for "tip of tongue".

[–] cmbabul 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’d be surprised if there isn’t a German word for it

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I think it's "tipphoffzetongue"

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There isn't one in German.

[–] cashews_best_nut 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Let me rephrase that: I never heard one. There is a word for tip of the tongue but not for the concrete situation OP described. I mean the possibility to just look up stuff wherever you are is a very recent development so it makes sense that a word that incorporates this isn't invented yet.

[–] blazeknave 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Still don't believe you. Just smash a sentence together or whatever y'all do. We need you. Latin doesn't do this.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I invented one for you:

Zungenspitzendilemma, das

When you have something stuck at the tip of your tongue, but looking it up feels like cheating.

[–] blazeknave 1 points 1 year ago

We're best friends now. Do another one: "when an Internet stranger connects with you over an infinitesimally small and unlikely shared idea or experience, and for the first time in your life, you don't feel alone on an earth with 7 billion humans, and you have a best friend"

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (3 children)

sometimes it's something that can't be looked up like a song tune or a scene from a show. i tried searching once using humming and it didn't work, but thankfully it only took a couple days for me to remember where it was from

[–] HonoraryMancunian 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

A couple of days...! I get annoyed after a couple of minutes, lol

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

it was definitely annoying that's for sure

[–] Sigh_Bafanada 3 points 1 year ago

Once, I had a song in my head that I wasn't able to remember much about. I posted on the /r/tipofmytongue community, letting them know that all I could remember was "eh, oppah"

After a few incorrect guesses, somebody realized that it was Moby's "Natural Blues"

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Definitely the worst part of being a post rock fan, or I guess a fan of any instrumental music.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Generally it is literally called a “tip-of-the-tongue” state in psych literature. Presque vu is the “fancy” french term for it, and means almost seen, similar to deja vu (already seen).

E: as a sidenote, I am fairly sure Vsauce had a video on this.

[–] fidodo 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Is there a word for when there's a word that's on the tip of your tongue but it turns out the word doesn't actually exist?

[–] surewhynotlem 7 points 1 year ago
[–] homesweethomeMrL 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I thought the post title was a joke. Like you couldn't remember the word you were thinking of to describe when you can't think of a word.

[–] HonoraryMancunian 3 points 1 year ago

Yes I did see the irony at the time of writing

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

Something like onamanfuckmeah

[–] LemmyKnowsBest 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I always experience a phenomenon in which no matter how hard I wrack my brain trying to think of the thing that's on the tip of my tongue, as soon as I go to look it up or ask somebody, it suddenly comes to my mind right before they tell me the answer.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Happens to me often with wordle. I take a screenshot to send my friend and show her that I'm stuck, and for some reason right after I send it, the answer comes to me.

[–] LemmyKnowsBest 3 points 1 year ago

Yes it happens to you too, isn't it a weird phenomenon??

like I wouldn't be surprised if I could even predict the lottery Powerball numbers a fraction of a second before they are called out LOL

[–] Bahalex 3 points 1 year ago

I’m partial the term ‘wonder kill’ for when one does look it up.

[–] Boozilla 2 points 1 year ago

CRS syndrome.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Brain fart.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Sounds like it could be called "trivial pursuit"