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'What was I looking for?'

DEFINITION: n. A condition where you get so distracted by the fact that you can't find something, that you forget what you were looking for. v. To forget what you are looking for while you are looking for it.

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Verboticisms

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Forgetterer

erasmus

Created by: erasmus

Pronunciation: for get er er

Sentence: Tom was a forgetterer, not only did he forget to pick up his keys, when he went back for them he forgot what he was looking for.

Etymology: from forget and erer means over and over. so forgetting one thing then another then another.

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Outoflocus

petaj

Created by: petaj

Pronunciation: out-o-FLOW-cus

Sentence: Conor was so outoflocus that he spent all day retracing his steps trying to remind himself of what he was looking for.

Etymology: out of focus (not focussed) + locus (location)

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Wherehead

Created by: mplsbohemian

Pronunciation: HWEHR-hehd

Sentence: I whereheaded about until I saw the keys, at which point I remember that I was looking for them in the first place.

Etymology: where + [air]head

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Whichhunt

Created by: rikboyee

Pronunciation: which-hunt

Sentence: as he aimlessly entered the kitchen again, he realised he needed to give up this whichhunt.

Etymology: which, hunt, witch hunt

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COMMENTS:

excellost! - galwaywegian, 2007-03-15: 06:03:00

This could be rendered as a verb, nice. - mplsbohemian, 2007-03-15: 19:27:00

this works also because, as in a witchhunt, one is actually unlikely to find something when they forget to look for it or won't notice it when they see it - ekath, 2007-03-22: 22:37:00

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Unfounder

Created by: Discoveria

Pronunciation: Un-fownd-dur

Sentence: Tom had been searching for his car keys for hours when suddenly he unfoundered; his mind blanked and he couldn't remember what he needed to do.

Etymology: Unfound + founder. Founder: to stumble, fail, collapse etc.

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Dejalose

Created by: Mobelia

Pronunciation: Day-Jah-LooZ

Sentence: When wandering around with dejalose, you often have to stop looking in order to trigger recall of what you are looking for.

Etymology: from Deja Vous french for "all over again" and lose as in misplace from Lose -

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Absentfindedness

Created by: splendiction

Pronunciation: AB sent find ed NESS

Sentence: Able tore around the apartment, digging through gobs of stuff to find many things he forgot he had. Unfortunately, his absentfindedness prevented him from actually remembering what he was looking for. Perhaps Able found it after all that finding!

Etymology: I forgot... (Uh, a twist together of absentmindedness and find).

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COMMENTS:

Good word...amazing how many people are afflicted with this disease...not me, at least I don't remember having it! - Nosila, 2009-10-01: 20:19:00

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Flashblank

Created by: Mustang

Pronunciation: FLASH-blanc

Sentence: As has been happening all too often lately Delbert's mind was wandering while he was looking for his car keys and he had another flashblank, his mind going totally devoid of thought and leaving him completely unable to concentrate.

Etymology: Blend of 'flash' and 'blank'....play on the word flashback

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Distrocupied

Created by: ziggy41

Pronunciation: (dis-TROC-you-PIED)

Sentence: He was so distrocupied with looking for the remote that after he forgot and walked to the tv to turn it on.

Etymology: "Distract" (to change your attention to something else), and "preoccupy" (engross one's thought into, such as finding something)

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Itemnesia

Created by: Alchemist

Pronunciation: eye-tem-NEES-yah

Sentence: After 20 minutes of frantically searching through her Prius, Sharon paused, stricken with itemnesia. Now WHAT was she looking for?

Etymology: item + amnesia

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Comments:

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-03-15: 00:12:18
Today's definition was suggested by mana1066.
Thank you mana1066! ~ James

erasmus erasmus - 2007-03-15: 12:25:00
I do believe in the UK the DJ on Radio 2 called Terry Wogan calls this a senior moment but thats two words.

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2007-03-15: 20:02:00
Funny thing is that it's been happening to me since I was a kid... Do think it's going to get worse as I get older?

Verbotomy Verbotomy - 2009-10-01: 00:12:00
Today's definition was suggested by mana1066. Thank you mana1066. ~ James