# The Word for When You Can't Think of a Word... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [October 31, 2000, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-for-when-you-cant-think-of-a-word/39084 "2000-10-31T15:17:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DennisKy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58f4c7/32.png) [@DennisKy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DennisKy)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2000, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-for-when-you-cant-think-of-a-word/39084/1 "2000-10-31T15:17:35Z")
The first time I came across a discussion of this in SD, I sent (IIRC) a message suggesting that the term for this shouldn’t be (_lethologica_ being excepted) a single word, but a phrase, _amnemonic nondiction_. _Amnemonic_ because your memory is momentarily failing, and _nondiction_ because you can’t choose the word you otherwise would. But nobody responded. (_sniff_) Probably nobody will this time, either. I can’t think of the word I’d use to describe such people, but when I do … boy, are _you_ gonna be in trouble! ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2000, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-for-when-you-cant-think-of-a-word/39084/2 "2000-10-31T16:48:33Z")
[What’s the word for when you can’t think of the word?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a961213.html) I nominate **apicolingualism** as the name for the phenomenon, and a person who suffers from it would be an **apicolingualist** , from the Latin _apex linguae_, “tip of the tongue.” _Apex linguae_ is also the anatomical term for the tip of the tongue, though rarely used. There is also a word “apical” in phonetics that refers to a sound made using the tip of the tongue. A person who studies the phenomenon would be an **apicolinguist** , the study of the phenomenon would be **apicolinguistics**. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2000, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-for-when-you-cant-think-of-a-word/39084/3 "2000-10-31T17:52:49Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, and thank you for posting your comment. Please include a link to Cecil’s column if it’s on the straight dope web site. To include a link, it can be as simple as including the web page location in your post (make sure there is a space **before** and **after** the text of the URL). Cecil’s column can be found on-line at the link kindly provided by SDMB lieutenant **bibliophage**. * * * moderator, «[**Comments on Cecil’s Columns**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1)» ---
**Author:** ![riverman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/0ea827/32.png) [@riverman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/riverman)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2000, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-for-when-you-cant-think-of-a-word/39084/4 "2000-11-07T07:46:36Z")
This is already well documented as Deficient Noun Disease. It won’t be long before there is a 12 step program for sufferers [http://www.parentinghumor.com/hnb/dnd.html](http://www.parentinghumor.com/hnb/dnd.html) ---
**Author:** ![MisterBK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8c91f0/32.png) [@MisterBK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterBK)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2000, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-for-when-you-cant-think-of-a-word/39084/5 "2000-11-12T01:36:47Z")
Psycholinguists refer to it as the “tip-of-the-tongue” or “TOT” phenomenon, obviously for lack of a better word. I really like **bibliophage** ’s “apicolingualism.” Sounds _way_ more scientific than “tip-of-the-tongue.” ---
**Author:** ![Kyberneticist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kyberneticist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyberneticist)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-for-when-you-cant-think-of-a-word/39084/6 "2000-11-13T21:58:27Z")
Scientific American has a new news brief which covers the experience. It does indeed use “TOT”. [http://www.sciam.com/news/111300/4.html](http://www.sciam.com/news/111300/4.html) ---
**Author:** ![kylen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@kylen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kylen)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-for-when-you-cant-think-of-a-word/39084/7 "2000-11-13T22:31:53Z")
I have heard “aphasia” used to describe this condition, though it is a little out of context… ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2000, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-for-when-you-cant-think-of-a-word/39084/8 "2000-11-14T22:36:08Z")
“Aphasia” is perfectly good for nonce use by laymen, but it has a more precise meaning in scientific use. God knows it’s not the only word of which that is true.