# What is the word for subconscious borrowing of a pre-existing melody? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 27, 2001, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-subconscious-borrowing-of-a-pre-existing-melody/95570 "2001-11-27T19:51:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jackrabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc348/32.png) [@jackrabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackrabbit)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-subconscious-borrowing-of-a-pre-existing-melody/95570/1 "2001-11-27T19:51:58Z")
This has been eluding me for quite some time now. I know I’ve come across this word before. I’d like to finally commit it to memory, because I do this very thing every so often! I’ve tried on-line reverse dictionaries, to no avail. Please, someone help me out! Thanks, David Post San Antonio, TX ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-subconscious-borrowing-of-a-pre-existing-melody/95570/2 "2001-11-27T19:54:44Z")
Plagiarism? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FortMarcy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9de053/32.png) [@FortMarcy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FortMarcy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-subconscious-borrowing-of-a-pre-existing-melody/95570/3 "2001-11-27T20:31:00Z")
Cryptomnesia perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-subconscious-borrowing-of-a-pre-existing-melody/95570/4 "2001-11-27T20:43:50Z")
Channeling? Sampling? [George Harrisonism?](http://www.copyrightwebsite.com/audio/harrison/harrison.asp) ---
**Author:** ![uberDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f04885/32.png) [@uberDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uberDave)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-subconscious-borrowing-of-a-pre-existing-melody/95570/5 "2001-11-27T21:17:54Z")
I think ‘sponging’ is a common slang term for it. ---
**Author:** ![NutMagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@NutMagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutMagnet)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-subconscious-borrowing-of-a-pre-existing-melody/95570/6 "2001-11-27T21:25:07Z")
Subconcious Appropriation? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-subconscious-borrowing-of-a-pre-existing-melody/95570/7 "2001-11-27T22:23:48Z")
Bobby Brown-ing?? (Ghostbusters? Was it Bobby Brown?) **Ethilrist** already mentioned George Harrison-ing. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-subconscious-borrowing-of-a-pre-existing-melody/95570/8 "2001-11-27T22:29:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Great Gazoo \* > \*\*Bobby Brown-ing?? (Ghostbusters? Was it Bobby Brown?) > \*\* That would be “Ray Parker-ing” - Ray Parker was the one sued by Huey Lewis, who stated that the “Ghostbusters” song was a rip-off of “I Wanna New Drug” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-subconscious-borrowing-of-a-pre-existing-melody/95570/9 "2001-11-27T22:49:17Z")
I knew Bobby Brown didn’t sound right. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-subconscious-borrowing-of-a-pre-existing-melody/95570/10 "2001-11-27T22:49:17Z")
I knew Bobby Brown didn’t sound right. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-subconscious-borrowing-of-a-pre-existing-melody/95570/11 "2001-11-27T22:57:31Z")
Sorry **jackrabbit** , we’re all a bunch of comedians! Welcome to the board, anyway! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-subconscious-borrowing-of-a-pre-existing-melody/95570/12 "2001-11-28T02:46:48Z")
When George Harrison lost his lawsuit, the judge called what he did “unconscious plagiarism.” It’s a particularly stupid term. ---
**Author:** ![Houlihan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Houlihan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Houlihan)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-subconscious-borrowing-of-a-pre-existing-melody/95570/13 "2001-11-28T04:05:50Z")
Copyright infringment. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-subconscious-borrowing-of-a-pre-existing-melody/95570/14 "2001-11-28T15:24:44Z")
… please to call it “research.” – Tom Lehrer ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2001, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-subconscious-borrowing-of-a-pre-existing-melody/95570/15 "2001-11-28T15:31:57Z")
Shouldn’t all this be combined under the thread title “Ice Ice Baby”?