Easy English Conversation Podcast | Do you forget words when you speak English | Ep 73

Added: 2026-05-18

[00:00:02][music] Okay, quick question for everyone listening. Have you ever like been mid-sentence in English and just completely lost a basic word?

[00:00:14]>> Oh my gosh, yes. Like literally yesterday, Sam, >> wait, really? What word was it?

[00:00:19]>> It was uh Well, actually, I was at a restaurant.

[00:00:23]>> Mhm.

[00:00:23]>> And I wanted the um you know the thing you eat salad with >> a fork.

[00:00:28]>> A fork? Yes, I completely forgot the word for fork. [laughter] >> A fork? That is Wow, >> I felt so stupid. I was just looking at the waiter like, "Uh, can I have a mini pitchfork?"

[00:00:40]>> A mini pitchfork? That's actually brilliant.

[00:00:44]>> But it's so embarrassing, you know?

[00:00:46]Like, my English is usually fine, but I just froze.

[00:00:50]>> Exactly. And that's um that's actually exactly what we're going to talk about today >> because I always think like, does this mean my English is getting worse?

[00:00:58]>> Right. That's the That's the biggest fear, right?

[00:01:01]>> Yeah. It feels like my brain is just, you know, broken.

[00:01:04]>> Well, spoiler alert, it's not. Your brain isn't broken, Alex.

[00:01:08]>> Thank God. I was worried.

[00:01:10]>> It's actually a documented psychological thing. It's called the tip of the tongue phenomenon.

[00:01:16]>> Tip of the Wait, what?

[00:01:17]>> The tip of the tongue phenomenon. Or if you want to be like super fancy, it's called lethala.

[00:01:24]>> Leth what?

[00:01:25]>> Lethalogica. But honestly, nobody says that. Let's just stick to tip of the tongue.

[00:01:30]>> Yeah, let's uh let's not add more confusing words when we're already forgetting them.

[00:01:35]>> Fair point. So, what do you think is actually happening in your brain when you go blank?

[00:01:40]>> Um, well, I guess I just assume I didn't study enough or like the word just fell out of my memory completely.

[00:01:46]>> Nope. That is that's actually the biggest myth.

[00:01:49]>> It is?

[00:01:50]>> Yeah, the word is still there 100%.

[00:01:53]>> Okay, but if it's there, Sam, why can't I say it? Okay, imagine your brain is uh imagine a massive library.

[00:02:01]>> Okay, big library. Got it.

[00:02:03]>> And you're the librarian, right?

[00:02:05]>> Naturally, I'd look great in glasses.

[00:02:07][laughter] >> Right. So, you know exactly which book you need. The fork book.

[00:02:12]>> Yes. Give me the fork book.

[00:02:14]>> But suddenly there's like 50 other books falling off the shelf and blocking your path.

[00:02:18]>> Oh, wait. So, it's not that I don't have to book.

[00:02:22]>> Exactly. It's not a storage problem.

[00:02:25]It's a a retrieval problem, like finding it.

[00:02:28]>> A retrieval problem.

[00:02:29]>> Yes. It's literally a brain traffic jam.

[00:02:33]>> Oh, now I get it. It's like the word is stuck in traffic.

[00:02:37]>> Yes. Your brain is actually trying so hard to find the perfect word that it blocks the path.

[00:02:43]>> That makes so much sense because when I was trying to say fork, I kept thinking of spoon.

[00:02:48]>> Boom. Yes. Your brain brought you spoon and knife and chopsticks. And I was like, "No, none of these."

[00:02:55]>> And because your brain is focusing so hard on rejecting the wrong words, >> it can't let the right word through.

[00:03:01]>> Exactly. You literally block your own memory.

[00:03:04]>> Wow. Okay, so I'm not losing my mind.

[00:03:07]>> Not at all. In fact, people who know more words >> Wait, don't tell me.

[00:03:12]>> Yep. They actually have this happen more often.

[00:03:15]>> Are you serious?

[00:03:16]>> Totally serious. Bilingual people especially.

[00:03:19]>> Oh, because we have double the traffic.

[00:03:22]Exactly. Double the words, double the traffic jams.

[00:03:25]>> Jeez. Okay, but traffic jams are terrible. How do I clear the traffic?

[00:03:30]>> Well, there's actually a really specific trick to do that.

[00:03:33]>> Okay, lay it on me. I really need to know before I have to order my next salad. [laughter] >> Okay, so the absolute worst thing you can do is stop.

[00:03:41]>> Wait, what? But I have to stop. The word is literally stuck.

[00:03:45]>> I know. I know. But when you stop, you uh you basically block the whole intersection.

[00:03:50]>> Like angry honking cars everywhere in my brain.

[00:03:53]>> Exactly. The stress makes it worse. So the secret trick is you just drive around the block.

[00:03:59]>> Drive around. Wait, I don't get it. How do you drive around a word?

[00:04:03]>> You use other words. You describe it. In English, we call this um circumlocution.

[00:04:09]>> Circum what? That is that's a huge word, Sam.

[00:04:13]>> Sorry. Sorry. It just means talking in circles.

[00:04:16]>> Oh, okay. So, if I forget the word for, I don't know, cucumber.

[00:04:20]>> Right. Back to your salad. If you forget cucumber, what do you say?

[00:04:25]>> Uh, long green water vegetable.

[00:04:28]>> Yes, literally that.

[00:04:30]>> But I'll sound I mean, won't I sound silly? Like, please give me the long green water vegetable.

[00:04:36]>> Honestly, a little bit. But but who really cares?

[00:04:40]>> I care. The waiter is going to judge me.

[00:04:43]>> Alex, the grumpy waiter just wants to take your order. He does not care if you call it a a crunchy green water stick.

[00:04:51]>> A crunchy green water stick.

[00:04:53]>> He will know what you mean because communication is about connecting, not not perfection.

[00:05:00]>> Okay, that's actually that makes a ton of sense, >> right? Think about it like Okay, imagine you're playing that party game. What's it called?

[00:05:08]>> Um, is it taboo? Yes. Taboo, where you have to explain a word without actually saying it.

[00:05:15]>> Oh, wow. So, you're saying speaking English is just a giant everyday game of taboo?

[00:05:22]>> Literally, yes. Every single day.

[00:05:24]>> That's My mind is kind of blown right now >> because if you freeze, the conversation dies. But if you play taboo, >> the conversation keeps going. Oh, now I totally get it.

[00:05:35]>> There you go. The light bulb moment. So, I just need to be like a professional taboo player.

[00:05:41]>> Exactly. So, let's practice right now.

[00:05:44]>> Oh, boy. Put me on the spot, why don't you?

[00:05:46]>> Ready? I want you to describe uh a refrigerator, but you cannot say the words cold or food.

[00:05:54]>> Wait, no cold or food? That's the whole point of it.

[00:05:58]>> Go. The traffic is building up. Honk honk.

[00:06:01]>> Ah, okay. It's uh a tall metal box.

[00:06:07]>> Good.

[00:06:08]>> In the kitchen and it makes things uh freezing.

[00:06:13]>> Freezing. Great. What goes inside this box?

[00:06:16]>> Um things you eat and things you drink.

[00:06:20]>> Boom. See, you did it perfectly.

[00:06:22]>> A tall metal box for things you eat.

[00:06:25]Honestly, that was kind of fun, >> right? And I knew exactly what you meant. No traffic jam. I didn't even miss the word refrigerator. Like, I didn't need it at all.

[00:06:35]>> Exactly. And guess what happens when you relax and do this?

[00:06:39]>> I don't know. The grumpy waiter finally smiles.

[00:06:42]>> Maybe. But also, the actual word you forgot, it usually pops right back into your head.

[00:06:48]>> Wait, really? Why does that happen?

[00:06:50]>> Because you removed the stress. The traffic cleared up.

[00:06:54]>> That is so cool. I mean, it's basically a magic trick for your brain.

[00:06:58]>> It totally is. So, next time you forget a word, just play taboo. Drive around the block.

[00:07:04]>> Yes. So, for everyone listening right now.

[00:07:06]>> Oh, do we have a challenge for them today?

[00:07:09]>> We sure do. I want you guys to describe your favorite movie.

[00:07:13]>> Oh, but without saying the title or the actors.

[00:07:16]>> Exactly. Put your best descriptions in the comments below. Let's see if we can guess them.

[00:07:21]>> I'm definitely going to go read all of those. That sounds hilarious. And hey, if you want more brain hacks and ways to level up your speaking, >> make sure you hit subscribe to English.

[00:07:30]Catch you guys next time.