# I'm trying to think of a word **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 19, 2015, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024 "2015-04-19T04:01:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/21 "2015-04-19T17:22:39Z")
At that same lunch, in trying to make light of my mental lapses, I retold this old joke (found online at [this site](https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=A0LEVzpm4zNVhfcAM75XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTByOHZyb21tBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--?qid=20080115073754AAtvhz8)) > [@](#): > > An elderly couple had dinner at another couple’s house, and after eating, the wives left the table and went into the kitchen. The two gentlemen were talking, and one said, ‘Last night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great. I would recommend it very highly.’ > > The other man said, ‘What is the name of the restaurant?’ > > The first man thought and thought and finally said, ‘What is the name of that flower you give to someone you love? You know… The one that’s red and has thorns.’ > > ‘Do you mean a rose?’ > > ‘Yes, that’s the one,’ replied the man. He then turned towards the kitchen and yelled, ‘Rose, what’s the name of that restaurant we went to last night?’ ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/22 "2015-04-19T18:47:16Z")
Not to turn this into a joke thread or anything, but Zeldar’s joke reminded me of another “senility” joke that my father-in-law likes to tell. An old couple are sitting watching TV and the old lady gets up and says to her husband “I’m going to go fix myself some ice cream. Would you like some?” “Sure,” says the old man, and the wife heads off to the kitchen. A couple minutes later she sticks her head in the doorway. “Do you want any chocolate sauce on your ice cream?” “Yeah, that sounds good,” he replies, and back she goes to the kitchen. A little later she comes back. “How about some whipped cream?” He replies, “Yes, I’ll have some whipped cream.” Shortly after that: “I’m going to put a cherry on mine. Do you want one?” “Sure, I’ll take a cherry,” he says, and she disappears back into the kitchen. She’s in there for a very long time, and finally walks out and hands the old man a plate with bacon, eggs, and hash browns. The old man looks at the plate and says “What the hell is this? . . . . . You forgot the toast!” ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/23 "2015-04-20T05:09:38Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > (Here’s a phenomenon, I wonder if there’s a name for it: while trying to think of this word I came up with “didactic” which is sort of related but not a synonym. Once I had that word in my head that was it, I couldn’t come up with the right word because “didactic” was too close in sound and was sort of blocking the right word.) Yes, that’s a known phenomenon in psychology of memory. It’s called _interference._ [Proactive & Retroactive Interference](http://studythepsy.blogspot.com/2010/12/proactive-retroactive-interference.html) ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/24 "2015-04-20T09:19:52Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Doper 😃 (since I can’t find an LOL option) ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/25 "2015-04-20T12:04:20Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Yes, that’s a known phenomenon in psychology of memory. It’s called _interference._ > > [Proactive & Retroactive Interference](http://studythepsy.blogspot.com/2010/12/proactive-retroactive-interference.html) I’m happy to know the term for this. It happens to me ALL THE TIME and the best way I’ve found to cope with it is just distract myself every time I try to find the right word and think of something else, because my brain will just retrieve the similar-but-wrong word and present it to me proudly with a ‘Found it!’ air and stop trying to find the right word. If I can successfully think of something else, eventually the right word will percolate up from my subconscious. ---
**Author:** ![orderfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orderfire/32/10908_2.png) [@orderfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orderfire)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/26 "2015-04-20T15:30:27Z")
Megalomaniac? ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/27 "2015-04-20T17:13:04Z")
Grandma. My brothers and I learned this _very_ quickly. ---
**Author:** ![OffByOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/45deac/32.png) [@OffByOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OffByOne)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/28 "2015-04-20T20:24:20Z")
Know-it-all World’s Foremost Authority ™ ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/29 "2015-04-20T20:57:13Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Dogmatic. That’s the word I was trying to think of (thanks **guizot** ) … I don’t see the term as universally inclusive, in that a person may be dogmatic about 1 or more things, but not _everything_. Also, dogmatic strongly suggestes a person who is repeating the “party line” uncritically, relying on some kind of bible as their authority. I wouldn’t call someone so confident of their _own_ opinion dogmatic. ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/30 "2015-04-20T21:19:12Z")
> [@orderfire](#): > > Megalomaniac? Megalomenia is a disease. In everyday life, I think we’re more likely to come across with instances of vanity and egotism. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2015, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/31 "2015-04-20T22:10:20Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I don’t see the term as universally inclusive, in that a person may be dogmatic about 1 or more things, but not _everything_. > > Also, dogmatic strongly suggestes a person who is repeating the “party line” uncritically, relying on some kind of bible as their authority. I wouldn’t call someone so confident of their _own_ opinion dogmatic. I was thinking of it in the second (non-dogma-related) meaning: _asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner._ To use it in a sentence (which I have contemplated doing): “You’re very dogmatic about everything, and most of the time you’re wrong.” ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/32 "2015-04-21T01:04:34Z")
Would pontificator work? And I tried to fight it, but here’s another senility joke. An old woman walks up to an old man in a rest home. She says, “If you drop your drawers, I’ll tell you how old you are.” The old man thinks for a minute, but can’t think of any way that could be done, so he tries it out. “You’re 84!” the old woman exclaims. “You’re right!” says the old man. Then he looks down, puzzled. “How did you know?” “You told me yesterday.” ---
**Author:** ![LynnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@LynnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LynnM)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/33 "2015-04-21T10:41:45Z")
**authoritarian**? –“Tending to tell other people what to do in a peremptory or arrogant manner. See Synonyms at dictatorial.” **domineering**? **imperious**? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/34 "2015-04-21T20:29:33Z")
Dogmatic You’re welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/35 "2015-04-22T04:11:46Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Dogmatic > > You’re welcome. Psst: see post #4. Also #18, 29 and 31. But thank you. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024/36 "2015-04-22T20:18:14Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Psst: see post #4. Also #18, 29 and 31. > > But thank you. Oh. Well, never mind. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-trying-to-think-of-a-word/718024.md?page=1)