Do you make up words by accident?

[Anonymous]

I say things without thinking sometimes, but I also say things while thinking ahead, or not being able to think of the word I want but getting it out anyway. I make up lots of new words that way, in writing, it’s usually a combination of the word I want and the word I’m thinking ahead about.

Yesterday the dentist’s office called to remind me about an appointment a week from now. How useless is that? Don’t call me a week before, call me the day before or the morning of, I can’t remember, I have to write it down on at least two calendars, on my to-do lists, and post a post-it note on the bathroom mirror the night before. I still might get hyperfocused on something and end up late.

Anyway, that’s not the story. My husband (ADD) motioned that he wanted to talk to the receptionist when I was done, so he went looking for the phone (wireless). Couldn’t find it. I offered mine to him – it’s a headset phone – but what came out of my mouth over the phone to the receptionist was “I’ll give him mine – I’m on a HEADLESS phone”. (combination of headset and wireless)

Does anyone else have these problems?

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[Patte Rosebank]

My mom sometimes blurts out new combination swear words when she’s frustrated. I’ll always remember the first time she said, “Sh*tty-f*ckin!”.

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[Anonymous]

Eleventeen is my favorite, from when I turned 11.

I think part of it is the out of the box creativity we all have. If there’s a root and a suffix, why can’t they go together? Just because you normal people have never heard of a phoneless cord, doesn’t mean I can’t buy one!

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[Anonymous]

I have a new one, generated yesterday. see you laughter – it’s a combination of “see you later” and “see you after”. I swear, I don’t make these up, they just come out. It could be that I start to say something and in the middle of saying it, realize it’s not right and try to correct it. I sure do feel fumble-mouthed when I do it and realize it.

My husband is coming to the realization that I cannot try to say am and pm in the same sentence, if I say 4 pm to 6 am, it will come out as 4 pm to 6 pm.

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[Anonymous]

my father used to call it a threadmill.

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[Carrie]

I do this at times. When Im tired. Or say things backwards like “Hair your brush now” instead of “Brush your hair now”… Most often I find myself forgetting such simple common words. Its very very embarrassing when you talking to someone and you completely forget a simple word like…. potential, or edema! Maybe they are not your average “simple” words… But I use them daily and for the life of me couldnt remember them! So im in conversation “Yeah so and so has….. uh….. um…. Sorry.. Ive just lost the word… DANG IT! Ummmmmm. I think it starts with E? Uh.. You know *at this point im panicking looking like a goon which makes it worse* that thing that happens… Like a foot getting bigger? You know? SHOOT! What is that word!!” other person “Edema’ “YES! yES thank you! So sorry!” Its bad enough as it is, this happens a lot! Or I just start talking away, and get too excited or get going too fast and totally mess up all my words and get frustrated and talk complete jibberish, give up and just go UGH!!!!

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[Anonymous]

all the time….. probably on a daily basis. I also tend to wave my arms around when I create my new word as if that will help me figure out the one I am supposed to use.

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[Anonymous]

When I get tired I can’t remember words and resort to “thingy” or “whatsit.” Nothing like sitting in a meeting with a bunch of high powered lawyers or executives and saying “We also have to do the thing with the stuff.” I sound like a mobster talking code on a wire tap. “Vinny, did you take care of dat ding? No, de udder ding.”

My wife is English, and she does spoonerisms (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoonerism) all the time (she does it on purpose). She told me she and her brother used to call their parents “dum and mad.” I laughed for a week. Another favorite is “the shun is signing and the churds are burping.”

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[memzak]

Pete-puma, my family’s favorite spoonerism was “many thinkle peep so”. I also use “thingy” and “whatsit” along with “thing-a-mabob” and “whose-it” and others that I can’t think of right now when I can’t remember words. I also combine words I just can’t think of any at the moment, but my daughter says I do it all the time. I told her the one you posted about the “shun” and “burps” this morning before she went to work. She thought it was hysterical! 😆

My mom’s favorite joke was about “foot-in-mouth” disease. When she said something she didn’t mean to say she would follow it with she needed a “podontist”, a specialist in removing one’s foot from one’s mouth. I know it’s a podiatry joke but we always thought it was funny.

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[billd]

Unreal how often I do that, and always have – forget the common words for things, or twist things around like aminal or occifer.

I struggle in meetings when asked questions as I’m at a loss for the details and proper terms at that moment.

I usually say “I have the notes at my desk, I’ll email it to you” to save face.

I’ve had some embarrassing moments at parties where I end up making up or messing up words and it sounds like, well, something some wouldn’t say in mixed company.

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[Anonymous]

@billd, I like the “at my desk” thing, I’ll have to use it. It’s odd that our brains are so fast sometimes, but obstinately slow other times.

I find that when I type or write, sometimes I type too fast or one hand moves too slow. Teh, oterhs, smoeday, are all classics. I use auto-correct in Word and Outlook a lot: “wrt” will automatically change to “with respect to;” and “proho” is “; provided, however,” Thank God I live in the age of PCs and not typewriters.

I do it when writing by hand, too. I find that sometimes I start writing a sentence and I skip the middle bit: “Today, I went groceries.” skipping “to the store for.” Like my hand can’t keep up with my brain. When I was in fourth grade, one of my teachers said exactly that. 27 years later, I find out it’s ADD.

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[Anonymous]

Anyone else wave their arms around while thinking? A common phrase for me “you know….that thing…that.. you…that.. you…use to…etc”. The other night I couldn’t remember the name “Dance Dance Revolution” so I called it “the blinking lights music stomping machine” and proceeded to act it out.

I always embarrass myself by looking like an idiot! Now a bit less so due to the meds. People who know me or are used to me know that you have to be patient while I get my thought out and usually it will be worth the wait.

I LOVE word processor SO VERY MUCH! I don’t think I could be anywhere close to where I am without it. I always skip words or even middle letters in what I am writing. I skip sentences. I can’t really organize thoughts until I copy, paste, and move sentences. edit, erase, copy, paste, move. I’m an excellent student, but I can’t get As on written essay tests for this reason, luckily they were so very rare. The timed written essay test was like my worst test nightmare in addition to timed oral. When I was in the 5th grade, I had to do a project on the typewriter. I made soooo many mistakes and needed so much editing that a pretty simple project took me more than a week.

Let’s say that no one will ever get handwritten letters from me. If one wanted a letter in the mail from me, I typed it then printed it out because the constant erasing is infuriating. and yes, I cannot write anything with pen..

These major problems all listed above and in this thread are some of the major reasons why my psychiatrist thinks I have ADD.

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[billd]

pete-puma (sorry, I keep thinking of the one lumps or two) et al I see there’s a whole lot more in common than not……… my teachers were on to the same thing – but “back then” they weren’t enlightened (if one wants to call it that) the best ones somehow knew….. and one in particular took a liking to me and tried to help. 4th grade. Neat lady, even if she did throw erasers at me……

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[Anonymous]

Yes, one of my childhood heroes (don’t ask me why). “I’m the little fellar’s mother, and I was so wooooorrrrieed about him!” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8gQ-YdgeMU)

Erasers! LOL! Yes, I do find I need special motivation sometime. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, “nothing focuses the mind the prospect of an eraser to the head.” The best football coach I ever had tackled me. Repeatedly. I wasn’t hitting the pads hard enough, so he made them hit back. I wish he had stayed on, I would’ve stuck with the game. Nowadays, the school would get sued and the coach fired.

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[Anonymous]

that’s 15 minutes on youtube I’ll never get back.

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[Author]

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