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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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Disfolocate

Created by: catgrin

Pronunciation: dis-foh-loh-keht

Sentence: While hunting for his keys, Bob disfolocated and grabbed his jacket instead.

Etymology: dis=bad, fo=first syllable of "forget" and "focus" (pronounced as in "focus"), locate

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Lostenconfound

Created by: porsche

Pronunciation: lost/en/con/fownd

Sentence: Lostenconfound is the predicament in which Harry found himself more and more frequently.

Etymology: lost and found + confound

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Seekersblock

Created by: Bulletchewer

Pronunciation: sikh-errs-blok

Sentence: He knew it would be in the last place he looked, but his seekersblock proved something of an obstacle.

Etymology: From "writer's block" and "seek". Always wonder whether you're allowed 2 separate words, because "seeker's block" would be better here.

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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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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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Stemel

Created by: Ahmad

Pronunciation: ste-ml

Sentence: After every 10 minutes , Jamil comes and asks what questions are expected in tomorrow's paper , exams has turned him into a stemel.

Etymology: Stemel is the acronym for Short term memory loss.

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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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Seekeying

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: see kee ying

Sentence: Al Zymer did it again...he went into the room but forgot what he went in there for. He forgot what he was seekeying. In future he decided he would right it down or make a code of words to relate to what he needed to get. His favourite movie was "Johnny Mnemonic" starring Keyanu Reeves, but since he got that bad bronchial infection, he thought he was actually "Johnny Pneumonic".

Etymology: Seeking (looking for, trying to find or obtain) & Keying (effective; producing a desired effect;a generic term for any device whose possession entitles the holder to a means of access)

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Stumblesearch

Created by: Maureen

Pronunciation: stum-ble-ser-ch

Sentence: John's gone for another one of his stumblesearches and he'll soon be asking us what it was he was looking for.

Etymology: stumble- from stumbling block when one draws a blank. search - to look for something.

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Helterseeker

Created by: toadstool57

Pronunciation: hell-tor-sEk-or

Sentence: Jill's search for her keys turned into a helterseeker. She forgot that she is seeking her keys when she stumbled onto a shoe she lost 2 months ago.

Etymology: helter skelter/seek

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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