Sometimes, when you can’t find the word you’re trying to think of, you create a whole new word. In some cases, they’re even better than the original!
Just look at some of the weird new terms people came up with on the fly in this AskReddit thread.
“What’s the funniest name you’ve heard someone call an object when they couldn’t remember its actual name?”
1.
Boyfriend’s mother once referred to a peacock as a disco chicken.
— u/Mushylump
2.
I forgot the word for ‘exterminator’ so I used ‘ant exorcist’ instead.
— u/anon
3.
Couldn’t remember groomsmen, went with dudesmaids instead.
— u/SuperBrentendo64
4.
My ex called an animal shelter a ‘cat refugee camp’, I couldn’t f*****g breathe
— u/Drivenhydra
5.
My friend couldn’t remember the word “cow” for some reason, so she googled “moo beast” to remember.
— u/HungryParr0t
6.
To this day most of my family refers to a strainer/colander as a “noodle stay, water go” because my older brother called it that once when he couldn’t find it and needed to ask where it was.
— u/starshock990
7.
Back in 90s I was 14 and begging my mom to let me go to a Guns n Roses concert..
I kept nagging until she got frustrated but couldn’t remember the band name and said:
“I’M NOT LETTING YOU GO TO ANY DAMN DEATH AND FLOWERS CONCERT”
I couldn’t stop laughing
— u/MetalHead310
8.
A polish exchange student was thirsty after a nightout and didn’t know what to say. He pointed to his mouth and said Sahara.
— u/Khoasama
9.
Couple weeks ago I was getting a pack of darts, needed some change for parking meters. As the girl is getting my change out I panicked, what is it called? My mind blank all I could get out of my dumb maw was “can I have my change in metal money?”. In my 30s and the word coin apparently got replaced by some dumb s**t I likely read here
— u/jhra
10.
I know a german who learned english in wales, its the most amazing cluster f**k of accents.
Anyway, a dog ran off with his gloves and he chased after it shouting, ‘come back with my hand shoes!’— u/whatisfishbeef
11.
Christmas Llama instead of reindeer.
— u/EduardLaser
12.
My boyfriend thought it was clever when I asked what the right word was for “an angry parade”.
….a protest.
— u/BeastModePwn
13.
Once when my husband was on pain meds (after having surgery), he asked for a “cylindrical water storage device.”
Cup. He wanted a cup.
— u/Caitriona67
14.
I can’t remember who said it, but ever since I heard a person call a cupcake a party muffin they are permanently renamed in my mind.
— u/bad_idea_theater
15.
I once had to listen to my mother tell a 10 minute story about all the honkers she saw at the park.
Geese. She meant geese.
— u/Knerdian
16.
At Target, I asked for “a can of bug-murder”. I forgot “insecticide” or even “bug spray”. The dude took it in stride, didn’t flinch.
— u/Pepsistopheles
17.
My mom referred to Guitar Hero as “Carpet Banjo” one time. Me and my friends still call it that.
— u/Shell058
18.
Couldn’t remember the word Athlete so I went with Sportician.
— u/mowachoo
19.
“Long sleeved shorts” … I forgot the word for pants.
— u/southern_nightingale
20.
My buddy once referred to an air horn as ‘spray scream’.
— u/Kitty-Zombie
21.
Growing up, we had a piece of furniture that we didn’t know what to call. Was it a bureau? A dresser?
We agreed to call it “Uncle Fred.” We forget that’s weird until we have company.
— u/RainyDayNinja
22.
When my sister was young, she didn’t know the word “cemetary” so she just called it a “dead-people field”.
— u/Arie008
23.
At one point I started googling “map of the year” because my brain short-circuited and I couldn’t recall the word “calendar”.
— u/goatywizard
24.
Sausage tweezers
My husband wanted me to pass him the cooking tongs.
— u/NiteliteBunnyFrite
25.
At a house party when this trashed bro comes up to me:
Hey man, I’m about to score. You got one of those . . . uh . . . plastic penis . . . socks?
— u/smokehidesstars