My wife and I are discussing a recent Sherlock Holmes movie and I want to say something about Dr. Watson and, to my utter frustration, I cannot remember the name! Not only that but I know from experience that no amount of effort will bring if forward. The dreaded tip of the tongue phenomenon. From time to time it strikes us all, it has been recorded in dozens and dozens of languages, there must be a whole book full of theories as to its cause, it is not regarded as a pathology - something on the road to dementia. It is an equal opportunity annoyance, striking the old and the young alike. But having said that, the bad news is that it becomes increasingly more frequent as you grow older. Now, at 75, I can depend on having any number of tip of the tongue experiences every waking day and they drive me to distraction. Obscure facts, figures - no problem. I am as good as I was at 19, actually better because I now have an arsenal of tens of thousands at my disposal. But at any moment I can( temporarily) ' forget' the name of Marylin Monroe, Ayn Rand or Niels Bohr. A few years back, coming out of retirement to teach at university for a term, I had to keep a little note card with a list of familiar names and terms it would be a disaster if I forgot. What a huge pain!! I ran the risk of appearing like a senile fool or that is how I felt.
Recently I was watching an interview with Christopher Plummer, still vitally acting at the age of 82, and I thought - what does he do about tip of the tongue stuff? Has he found a way to conquer it? Does it not occur in actors? I'd love to know.
Christopher Plummer probably just found a more elegant way to say "whatchamacallit" or "whatshisface" when he forgets words or names. I'm sure it helps when you can say those with a classy Brits accent, too; throws people off the scent.
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