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Words that lose all meaning if you think too much about them

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Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 344 ✭✭Getting there


    This happened me yesterday withthe word subtle. Even now, its losing meaning rapidly...


  • Posts: 2,960 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    AnonoBoy wrote: »
    Embiggen.

    Obligatory: Its a perfectly cromulent word


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,972 ✭✭✭Brussels Sprout


    "Conscience"

    Con-Science-How can it be pronounced Conshunce!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,385 ✭✭✭Duffy the Vampire Slayer


    This happened to Will on the Inbetweeners when he was deprived of sleep.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,308 ✭✭✭Rowley Birkin QC


    Banana.

    Banana.

    Ba na na.

    Ba.

    Na.

    Na.

    Na.

    Na.

    Na.

    Na.

    Na.

    Hey.

    Eyyyyyy.

    Goodbye.

    :pac::pac:


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,351 ✭✭✭Orando Broom


    Crayon. Crrrraaaaaayooooonnn.

    Craaaaaaaaaaayyoooooon....


  • Posts: 6,045 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Thats just the weirdness of the English language.......sure wrap your mind around this...

    though
    through
    lough
    cough
    rough
    bough (when the bough breaks, the cradle will fall)
    ought


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,461 ✭✭✭Snakeblood


    Do you mean it has for some reason or another lost it's impact on you? If so, this isn't what I'm talking about.

    It's hard to describe, but it feels like if you probe certain individual words too deeply you end up feeling like the word is meaningless or something.

    I got that with Pyjamas. Couldn't figure out why they were called that. IT seems so arbitrary.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 479 ✭✭revz


    Chunk.
    wtf like


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,111 ✭✭✭lucylu


    Nag


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,256 ✭✭✭scotchy


    Hatchet


    IMO the strangest word. Even in context it has very little meaning as you never hear the word mentioned these days.

    Just keep saying it over and over to yourself, it makes very strange sounds!

    Strange. That’s the very word I was going to add.

    .

    💙 💛 💙 💛 💙 💛



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 45 thankswhore


    After a day on boards all words start to lose meaning


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,811 ✭✭✭✭billy the squid


    Work

    The more you sit around thinking about it, the less of it you actually do.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,797 ✭✭✭karma_


    There is actually a name for this phenomenon, it's called semantic satiation.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,239 ✭✭✭✭WindSock


    Rhythm


  • Posts: 81,308 CMod ✭✭✭✭ Paloma Chubby Cobble


    WindSock wrote: »
    Rhythm

    IS A DANCER











    sorry :o


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,531 ✭✭✭Little Acorn


    Nose.

    It just sounds more like a sound some type of machinery would make, instead of an actual word with meaning.

    I actually find all the facial feature words weird.
    Lip
    Eye
    Chin
    Cheek

    But nose sounds the strangest.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 542 ✭✭✭cleremy jarkson


    karma_ wrote: »
    There is actually a name for this phenomenon, it's called semantic satiation.

    You just blew my mind!
    Nose.

    This is a perfect example of one of these words. If you say "nose" lots of times in your mind and scrutinise and disect the word "nose" you will become convinced, if only for a second or two, that its either the wrong word for what we know it to describe or that it is just a made up word which doesn't mean anything.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,751 ✭✭✭Saila


    yeah noticed this with ALL words years ago, makes you realise language is just a collection of sounds which we learn to recognise over time


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