# Single word earworm larvae **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 19, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272 "2013-09-19T23:21:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/1 "2013-09-19T23:21:17Z")
Warning: if you dislike earworms (catchy music that gets stuck in your head), leave now while you are still safe. I was wondering about what it takes to trigger an earworm (aka “larvae”, if you will). Can it be done with a single word? Here’s an example: DecaturDid that work? What other single-word examples are there? ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/2 "2013-09-19T23:23:15Z")
badger ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/3 "2013-09-20T00:06:03Z")
I have no idea, what was it? Here’s a new one: “Karma” ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/4 "2013-09-20T00:35:21Z")
Tequila! ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/5 "2013-09-20T00:39:18Z")
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. ---
**Author:** ![Jungian\_Camisole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@Jungian\_Camisole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jungian_Camisole)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/6 "2013-09-20T00:43:12Z")
Rooooxanne ---
**Author:** ![Quercus\_alba](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quercus_alba/32/4061_2.png) [@Quercus\_alba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus_alba)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/7 "2013-09-20T00:44:58Z")
[Never…](http://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ) ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/8 "2013-09-20T01:06:21Z")
Truckin’ ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/9 "2013-09-20T02:21:20Z")
Not a single word, but a name. When I came to choosing a screen name, Jimmy Stewart’s voice got stuck in my head, calling, “C K Dexter Haaaaaven, Oh, C K Dexter Haaaaven.” Wouldn’t get out. So I thought it was a sign from on high. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/10 "2013-09-20T03:11:15Z")
> [@The\_Controvert](#): > > I have no idea, what was it? > > Here’s a new one: “Karma” Is that supposed to be “Instant Karma,” or “Karma Chameleon,” or maybe “Karma Police”? So many possibilities, except that I only know the first two. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/11 "2013-09-20T03:23:50Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > Not a single word, but a name. When I came to choosing a screen name, Jimmy Stewart’s voice got stuck in my head, calling, “C K Dexter Haaaaaven, Oh, C K Dexter Haaaaven.” Wouldn’t get out. So I thought it was a sign from on high. How yar. ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/12 "2013-09-20T03:26:53Z")
Jane. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/13 "2013-09-20T03:31:56Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > Is that supposed to be “Instant Karma,” or “Karma Chameleon,” or maybe “Karma Police”? So many possibilities, except that I only know the first two. Karma Chameleon. Didn’t know the first one. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/14 "2013-09-20T03:46:34Z")
Uno !! ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/15 "2013-09-20T03:51:22Z")
I used to sneak up behind my mother and say “Bolero” and she’d have Ravel in her head the whole rest of the day. Dirty trick. (And usually had a bounceback effect on me…like it’s having right now! Damn!) ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/16 "2013-09-20T04:46:18Z")
Eightsixsevenfivethree-O-ni-eye-ine ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/17 "2013-09-20T04:52:23Z")
Sharona. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/18 "2013-09-20T11:49:49Z")
> [@The\_Controvert](#): > > Here’s an example: > > DecaturDid that work? What other single-word examples are there? Didn’t work for me. The only two that kinda worked are Roxanne and Badger, and only the latter is really anything like an earworm. Another example - Manah-manah! Funnily enough, my current earworm is introduced without words - just by high-pitched screaming…_Aaaahhaaah-hhhaaaaa!_(any guesses?) ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/19 "2013-09-20T13:10:53Z")
Yesterday ---
**Author:** ![misling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@misling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misling)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/20 "2013-09-20T13:34:43Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Didn’t work for me. > > Another example - Manah-manah! That’s “Mahna-Mahna” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272.md?page=2)