# 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:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/61 "2013-09-23T16:05:37Z")
Whippet. ---
**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 23, 2013, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/62 "2013-09-23T16:57:26Z")
Yes, it was a Blurred Lines reference in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/63 "2013-09-23T17:01:14Z")
> [@congodwarf](#): > > As I said before, the only song I know (knew) of with the word Decatur in it is Blurred Lines. Huh. Never noticed that in the lyrics to Blurred Lines, but I try not to pay attention to the lyrics. I dig the tune and the groove, but it’s best if I tune out the words as much as possible. Not just the whole rapiness of the song, but just the cringeworthy inaneness of lines like “you wanna hug me/what rhymes with hug me.” But, yeah, I see that Decatur is in fact, in there. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/64 "2013-09-23T17:10:24Z")
Every so often I’ll run across a word in something I’m reading that actually does trigger an earworm for me. The only example I can remember is the most recent: there’s currently in IMHO (here on the SDMB) a thread/poll titled “What is your favorite season of the year?” the word **season** made me start hearing “Time of the Season” (the old [Zombies song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc7b62El_fk), though I’m more familiar with the [Trip Shakespeare cover](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12DQLAh2Ul4)) ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/65 "2013-09-23T17:29:15Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Huh. Never noticed that in the lyrics to Blurred Lines, but I try not to pay attention to the lyrics. I dig the tune and the groove, but it’s best if I tune out the words as much as possible. Not just the whole rapiness of the song, but just the cringeworthy inaneness of lines like “you wanna hug me/what rhymes with hug me.” > > But, yeah, I see that Decatur is in fact, in there. The first few times I heard that song, I was so into the tune and the groove that I didn’t catch any words at all, except Dakota and Dacatur that is. I find the lyrics to be incredibly idiotic, not even going into the potential rapiness of them. But like you said, I love the tune and the groove. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/66 "2013-09-23T19:27:39Z")
Does a hyphenated or compound word count?\* Because a recent Straight Dope thread on the name of the she-wolf that legendarily raised Romulus and Remus prompted me to seek out Shakira’s [She-Wolf](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=booKP974B0k) on YouTube. 🙂 \*Compound in English anyway. The Spanish word, and the title to Shakira’s Spanish version of the song, is _loba_. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/67 "2013-09-23T22:18:08Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, I don’t know that one either, even with the hint. And what is the song in the OP? Assuming I have not been wooshed, it’s from the _Rocky Horror Picture Show_. The half-word is [antici-------pation](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlwnbcxBuzI). My one-word earworm is [Hula-Hoop](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT2GLdWrqLM). ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/68 "2013-09-23T23:23:19Z")
> [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](#): > > Assuming I have not been wooshed, it’s from the _Rocky Horror Picture Show_. The half-word is [antici-------pation](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlwnbcxBuzI). > > My one-word earworm is [Hula-Hoop](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT2GLdWrqLM). You weren’t whooshed. The earworm that “Antici—” triggered for me was “Anticipation,” which was a fairly popular song. I’d say either response is valid. People who aren’t that familiar with the Rocky Horror Picture Show are probably more likely to hear the Carly Simon tune. ---
**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 25, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/69 "2013-09-25T14:37:20Z")
> [@Mixolydian](#): > > Led Zep’s “Immigrant Song”? Got it in 1 ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2013, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272/70 "2013-09-25T15:06:08Z")
One thing that invariably triggers an earworm for me isn’t a single word, but a single tone: the shutdown tone/chord for Windows 7 is the opening chord in “The Spy Who Loved Me,” which I then proceed to have stuck in my head about an hour after I shut down the computer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-word-earworm-larvae/669272.md?page=3)