#523 When you learn a new word and then suddenly start seeing it everywhere

Thanks, universe.

Once in a while you send big blinking signs that everything’s unfolding according to plan. Yes, whether it’s a supersmooth drive home, some eerie deja vu, or a  perfect time showing up on the clock, you drop buzzy little braintwists that always keep us guessing.

Yes, it’s great when you learn a new word and then suddenly start seeing it everywhere. You know how it goes: something weird like coagulate, vexed, or perforated leaps into your temporal lobe and wedges itself there tightly, grabbing a beer, putting its feet up, making itself at home.

But then soon magazine articles are zooming the word up to your eyeballs, your college professor is dropping it in lectures, and you see it hanging strangely coagulate in the middle of a random blog.

“I never knew that word before,” you think. “but now it’s following me around.”

See, the Lords of Language know you well. They gotta repeat things to seal in the learning. So when it happens just enjoy that personal thrill, feel that connection crackle, and smile and nod because you just got a little bit smarter and a lot more

AWESOME!

Order The Book of Awesome

—Email message—

“Hi Neil! I’ve been slowly maneuvering my way through grad school.  Unfortunately, my boyfriend lives 200 miles away and it’s tough to have him leave Sunday nights and return to work. Tonight, after the boy left, I put aside my work for a little longer and dove into your book.  I felt so much better. Thank you for putting a little more AWESOME into the world, Erica.”

Photo from: here

93 Comments

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93 Responses to #523 When you learn a new word and then suddenly start seeing it everywhere

  1. Jill

    This happens to me ALL the time!

  2. Jay

    Great article!! For me it was CRUDITE (cut up raw vegetables). Years ago it was PAISLEY. Hear it once and suddenly it’s everywhere.

  3. Gee Bee

    What about “Ozay”? I haven’t seen anyone mention “ozay” yet.

  4. Peggy Campbell

    You mean … like the word is … like … ubiquitous?

  5. Katie

    “…and you see it hanging strangely coagulate in the middle of a random blog”- LOL.

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  7. I LOVE when this happens, you feel very connected to everything, what a great awesome thing today! My word was smite and smote. Saw it, learned it, then it was EVERYWHERE. Thankfully, not directed at me!

  8. Beverley

    “I never knew that word before,” you think. “but now it’s following me around.”

    That made me actually laugh, ya know, out loud. :)

  9. Slavaa

    This happened to me with the word “Caveat”.

  10. alice

    suzerainty

    i’m in my third year of international poli sci and i only just discovered it, and then it came up in three different classes in the one day… and two of the profs didn’t know what it was

  11. This is always fun and comes in handy in life.

  12. Jackie

    The other day I heard and actually read the word ‘gobsmacked’ five whole times!!! It might have been more but when I noticed and started counting it came to five.

    I was gobsmacked!

  13. Sadie

    ZOMG! That flippin happens to me all the time! XD I thought I was crazy. This makes me feel better though, ;D

  14. I know it’s been said before, but this is so very, very true! Love it!

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  16. Wotcher!

    That’s the word. It means “hi there!”. I’m trying to start a revolution and put it in the American dictionary.

    Brill blog (except whats up with calling Ron Weasley ugly?!). Joking. ;)

    Cheers,
    Sarah

  17. How very true! As I’ve started reading these vocabulary books I see the words I’ve read everywhere.. It looks as though people put these words on purpose… lol..

  18. Taryn

    I once read ketchup spelled “catsup” in a book and for weeks after it was the only way ANYTHING seemed to spell it.

  19. Great post ! Thanks I really Appreciate It

  20. william

    I somehow came across the idiom, “the emperor’s new clothes” then that same day I read that phrase in a magazine and heard it in a song on the radio!!!!!

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  22. wendywithaurora

    Once I read an awesome book; I was spreading the word like wild-fire and receiving the most peculair looks, until a sister finally questioned the title… I told, “Erroneous Zones!”
    When she told me what she thought I’d said, we laughed…this explained everything!

  23. I was very happy to read through this post.I wanted to thank you personaly for taking your time collecting all these valuable information!

  24. dior shoes

    It all essentially answered my problem, thanks!

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