Senior Living: What's That Word Again?

This sensation is called the “tip-of-the-tongue” phenomenon, also known as lethologica. (There’s actually a word for it!) The tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon is “the inability to retrieve a specific word as a response to a visual, auditory, or tactile presentation.” And it can be extremely frustrating. It’s as if the word is playing games with you, hiding around the corner with a smirky smile on its face, just daring you to find it!  

Kendra Cherry, MS, a psychology educator and author of the “Everything Psychology Book,” has studied this topic, and here are some things she has learned about lethologica.

• The tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon is universal. People from all over the world report experiencing moments where certain words seem momentarily inaccessible.

• These moments increase with age. While young adults might experience tip-of-the-tongue moments once a week, older adults generally experience these incidents almost daily.

• People often remember partial bits of information. For example, they may remember the letter the word they are searching for begins with or the number of syllables the word contains.

• Proper nouns seem to present the most difficulty. When it comes to which words seem to escape memory most, proper nouns take the top slot. This includes remembering a person’s name or the name of a specific place or thing.

When you encounter these frustrating moments, which happen more often when you are tired, one of the best ways to respond is not to think about it — and then the word will suddenly “pop up” out of nowhere. This is referred to as a spontaneous resolution.

Even though tip-of-the-tongue moments are more common as we age, if you feel they happen too frequently or are bothersome, it’s important to talk to your care provider. They can do testing to determine whether a cognitive issue may exist.

So, now you know. And if a friend has a tip-of-the-tongue moment, you can confidently explain they are experiencing … what was that word? I think it starts with an “L.”

For everyone who lives in Oregon, this is your annual reminder to consider giving to the Oregon Cultural Trust. You have until the end of this year to donate to a qualifying nonprofit and the Oregon Cultural Trust to receive a matching Oregon tax credit.

All you do is donate to any of Oregon’s arts, heritage, and humanities nonprofits, which include over forty in Hood River, Sherman, and Wasco counties (listed at www.culturaltrust.org). Then make a matching gift to the Cultural Trust to claim your contribution to the Cultural Trust as a tax credit — which means your donation to the Cultural Trust won’t cost you a thing! The Oregon Cultural Trust supports local communities by funding county Cultural Trust Coalitions, which annually distribute grants to area schools and nonprofits.

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Brain Tease: What do an island and the letter “t” have in common?

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The name of the writer known as the “father of the Western novel” is Zane Grey. I received correct answers from Ron Nelson, Barbara Caldwell, Doug Nelson, Bruce Johnson, Stephen Woolpert, Donna Mollet, Sam Bilyeu, Judy Kiser, Jay Waterbury, Tina Castanares, Doug Nelson, Craig Terry, Jim Tindall, Becky Podvent, Lana Tepfer, Patty Munk, Ken Jernstedt, Rhonda Spies, Jess Birge, Rebecca Abrams, Dave Lutgens, and 105-year-old LaVerna Harmier, who is the winner of a quilt raffle ticket, and remembers her father reading Zane Grey books in the 1930s.

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And from last week, the Emmy-nominated television sitcom, which aired from 1963 to 1971, told the story of the Clampetts, a poor backwoods family who moved to California after striking oil on their land, was “The Beverly Hillbillies.” I received correct answers from Doug Nelson, Donna Mollet, Judy Kiser, Rhonda Spies, Julie Hoffman, Rose Schulz, Lana Tepfer, Dave Lutgens, Stephen Woolpert, Bruce Johnson, and Barb Weiford — this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket.

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In 1922, when she was 50, this American author, novelist, and socialite wrote her first etiquette book, the best-selling “Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home.” For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of this author who also wrote a column on good taste that appeared in over 200 newspapers? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-980-4645, or send it with a picture of a proper table setting.

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Well, it’s been another week, wondering how I can feel old when I have never grown up! Until we meet again, keep your eyes open for all the possibilities.

“Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.” 

— Dale Evans

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Nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals are available at noon Monday through Friday unless otherwise noted.

Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157) — Wednesdays with music on second and fourth Wednesdays; Mt. Hood Town Hall (541-308-5997) — Tuesdays; Hood River Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060); Sherman County Senior and Community Center (541-565-3191); The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333).

For meal sites in Washington, call Klickitat County Senior Services: Goldendale office (509-773-3757) or the White Salmon office (509-493-3068), and in Skamania County call Senior Services (509-427-3990).