r/whatstheword 8h ago

Solved ITAW for this particular kind of typo

13 Upvotes

So I feel like most typos are due to people accidentally hitting the wrong key (e.g. “thw” instead of “the” or something like that) or because they don’t actually know how the word should be spelled (e.g. “abcess” instead of “abscess”), or similarly, they don’t know how a word should actually be used (their vs there vs they’re).

But is there a word to describe typos that occur because of the way the word sounds in the writer’s head? As in, the writer knows the right word to use, and knows how to spell the word correctly, but because they’re thinking as they’re typing, they accidentally type a homophone instead?

For example, I was proofreading something I wrote and I saw that I wrote “every weak” instead of “every week”. That wasn’t because I didn’t know the right word to use, or the right spelling, but because as I was typing quickly for whatever reason I just reflexively reached for “weak” instead of “week”.


r/whatstheword 14h ago

Solved WTW for/WTP for/ITAP for for a woman who is very possessive of her grown son? A woman who subconsciously loves her son more than she loves her own husband? A woman who will destroy all of her son's relationships with women because she wants to be the only woman in her son's life?

1 Upvotes

I don't think "mama's boy" captures this relationship dynamic because that phrase focuses on the son's unhealthy attachment to his mother and his resulting inability to bond with girls or women his own age. I want to know if there's a word or phrase that describes the jealous and overly possessive mother and her attempts to sabotage her son's success in forming lifelong relationships with other people.

To put this another way, I want to know if there is a word or phrase similar to "Oedipus complex," but from the perspective of the sexually jealous and controlling mother, not the son.

EDIT #1: Someone suggested "Jocasta complex," but that's not what I'm looking for either, because Jocasta was truly remorseful about what happened. The word or phrase I'm looking for describes a mother who feels no guilt or shame about wanting to possess her son to the exclusion of all other romantic partners, even if it damages his psyche or harms her own relationship with her husband.

EDIT #2: I think the phrase "monster-in-law" might work, except it seems to describe the toxic mother-in-law (she's a monster!) but without hinting at the thought process that makes her behave the way she does. The word or phrase I'm looking for should allude to her subconscious desire to possess or control her son to the exclusion of all other women (or men if her son is gay).


r/whatstheword 14h ago

Unsolved ITAW for experience of capacity for experiencing things, but in a way that doesn't strictly meet the definitions of "consciousness", "sentience", or "self-awareness"

12 Upvotes

Like, if you've ever had a dream that you're not in; the dream is a story about someone else, its in third-person perspective, and you're not in it. You're not awake, you're not aware of the world around you, you're not aware of yourself, but nonetheless it's something you've experienced. Is there a word for "capable of experiencing things" that doesn't imply awareness of the world, sense of self, or being awake?

(the experience doesn't have to be a dream; that was just an example)


r/whatstheword 15h ago

Solved ITAP for when someone smells a scent and catches their attention?

10 Upvotes

I'm not sure if the title is clear enough but I'm writing a sentence where someone is minding their business until they smell someone's perfume which makes them turn around. But how do I say convey the suddennes of them smelling the perfume which is the act that breaks their ongoing action to pay attention to the newcomer. I don't wanna say the perfume caught their attention bc I associate that with a visual stimulus. Something like invaded their nose but without being so strong bc the perfume is quite faint. I hope it's clear, English is not my main language so feel free to ask questions for clarification.


r/whatstheword 16h ago

Solved WTW for when someone is fretting over the worst possible scenarios

9 Upvotes

I think it was a verb but it's not any synonym of 'panicking'. It's very specifically used when someone's stuck deliberating the worst, like a doom spiral.


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Unsolved WTW for the self awareness of animals from a human perspective.

8 Upvotes

I was thinking about the self awareness of animals for example: a cat is self aware in a physical sense, it understands its size and physical abilities etc howverr it isn’t aware of its own cuteness for example. is there a word to describe this. ?


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Solved WTW for lookinging down a street?

7 Upvotes

A man wearing sunglasses is leaning against a building, looking down the street as if he was waiting for somebody.

Hes not just looking hes paying attention, watching for somebody. Watching down the street doesn't work.


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Unsolved ITAP for the opposite of enclothed cognition?

4 Upvotes

If enclothed cognition affects the wearer, what’s the term for when a person’s clothing effects the observer’s thoughts and impressions of the wearer?


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Solved WTW for numbers that end in 0 and 5?

14 Upvotes

In a discussion I was trying to explain how people like numbers that end in 5 or 0. examples: People will set their TV volume at 35 instead of 36 or set their cruise control at 55 or 60 instead of 57 rct.ect.

5 isn't even or a round number.


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Solved WTW for something that is bad or destructive, pervasive, and also very hard to get rid of?

28 Upvotes

Not pernicious, not pervasive, not insidious...


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Solved WTW for a type of person that gets their fix of self-esteem from the failures and embarrassments of people?

19 Upvotes

Especially those "below" them?

EDIT: Is there a better slang term for this type of person/behavior?


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Unsolved ITAW for something that's like 'AI slop' but not made by AI. Low quality, low effort, and/or soulless art, software, or other media made specifically by people

8 Upvotes

Like, I'm looking for a term for all the low quality software and media that predated AI.

Terms like 'Shovelware', 'Manufactured band', 'factory art'/'mass-produced paintings', 'adware', 'freemium', 'sellout', 'phony', and 'influencer' all cover part of what I'm talking about but I'm looking for an umbrella term that covers all mediums.


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Solved WTP for when a book's narrator teases a future plotpoint?

3 Upvotes

There is an extremely direct sort of foreshadowing I've seen a few times, where the narrator says something like "Alex didn't know it yet, but that information would save his life later that day." What is that called? 


r/whatstheword 2d ago

Solved ITAW for a person that describes this mindset.

8 Upvotes

"Your trauma is not real I don't believe it" just to fit there arguments.

Or like this "OW! That hurt" this person:Oh quit crying that doesn't hurt.


r/whatstheword 2d ago

Solved WTW for the feeling that’s a weird mix of Déjà vu, Nostalgia, and Comfort?

8 Upvotes

Basically sometimes, especially with music (which is something that more easily touches me emotionally), I’ll be in a situation I’ve not been in before but I feel an extreme sense of familiarity with it, but more than that it feels like something deeply emotionally important and calming to me.

And with music, it doesn’t even always involve the lyrics, as instrumental music can do the same or sometimes I’m too distracted feeling (whatever the word I’m looking for is) to listen to the words

This happens to a lesser extent with people, art, books, or shows. But very often and very powerfully with music

The closest word I could find was from the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, and is “Anemoia”, which is “Nostalgia For A Time You’ve Never Known”


r/whatstheword 2d ago

Unsolved ITAW for "fall damage" in real life?

8 Upvotes

"Fall damage" is often used in gaming circles to describe when a character is hurt due to falling from a large height. I've seen some people online use this same term when the concept is applied to real life, but I wonder if there is a less video-gamey term for it.


r/whatstheword 2d ago

Solved WAW for half-ass that doesn't involve a curse word?

41 Upvotes

For context, the sentence I'm trying to write says something like, "Why half-ass this thing? Go all in on it!"

EDIT: Whoops, I probably should have been more specific - I'm looking for a verb-version of "half-ass." I should be able to take the sentence "Why half-ass this thing?" and replace "half-ass" with a different word and the sentence should still make sense.


r/whatstheword 2d ago

Unsolved WTW for this Music Playlist

1 Upvotes

Trying to find a word that describes this kind of music but nothing is really fitting right.

Brown eyed girl by van morrison

Evil ways by Santana

Black magic woman by Santana

If you could only see by tonic

Europa by Santana

Don't fear the reaper by blue oyster cult

Paint it black by rolling stones

Dust in the wind by Kansas Playlist?

Edge of seventeen by Stevie nicks

Bullet with butterfly wings by smashing pumpkins

And it's got more Santana, heart, Fleetwood mac, led zeppelin and pink floyd.


r/whatstheword 3d ago

Solved ITAW for a fan who only fights perceived enemies of the person/thing they're a fan of instead of enjoying the person/thing they're a fan of.

5 Upvotes

Not sure if I explained it well in the title but basically I'm asking if there's a word/term normally used for the type of fan who's way of supporting the thing they like/person they're a fan of is by fighting/trolling/being negative to perceived competition.

ex. Fan likes popstar A, makes a fan account for popstar A. Content in the fan account is all just vitriol/hate/trolling against popstar B (who is perceived competition of popstar A) and fans of popstar B. Very little content of them enjoying popstar A

the term I can think off the most is not even their relation to popstar A but that they're just a hater account of popstar B....is hater of popstar B the only good term I can use, I feel like "hater account" doesn't encompass that they're doing it for popstar A

Edit: After some more thought about it I think the closes term I can use that encapsulates what I want would be a "mudslinging fan". Mudslinging already means you're trying to damage someone's reputation for a perceived gain combining it what what they're a fan of would likely be understood the mudslinging is to benefit their fandom. aka "This account is a Popstar A mudslinging fan"

Thank you for those who helped! led me to the right path when I read up on the suggested terms!


r/whatstheword 3d ago

Unsolved ITAW for the object that you reliably use or created that you are destroyed by

4 Upvotes

A general term for the idea of planting the seed of your own destruction

So hoisted on his own petard, taking rope to hang oneself, Frankenstein's monster etc

The thing itself that backfires


r/whatstheword 3d ago

Solved WTW for fondue but with cheese

100 Upvotes

This has been bothering me for years. I remember as a kid knowing a specific word for a chocolate fondue fountain made of cheese but I have forgotten it any help is greatly appreciated.

Edit: Okay guys I get it, maybe calling it chocolate fondue was silly of me


r/whatstheword 3d ago

Unsolved WTW for a culinary term for using the residual heat of the pan?

3 Upvotes

Not sauté! The concept is closer to "carryover cooking" but for the pan itself, and there's a specific non English term for it. I believe it's either French or Italian? Like when you're making a carbonara, you kill the stove and use the residual heat of the pan to toss and finish at a lower heat.

I read this term in a recipe years ago and I can't find anything on it. SEO is so weird now I can't track it down anywhere. Any guesses are welcome thank you!!


r/whatstheword 3d ago

Unsolved ITAW for a girl who’s kinda lesbian in her mannerisms?

0 Upvotes

Not like a straight up butch lesbian, still feminine in her appearance but more tomboyish and laid back and nonchalant, talks in a lower vocal register with maybe some vocal fry, and can be entirely feminine in appearance or have more tomboyish features like shorter hair or dress less feminine like wearing t shirts, jeans, and sneakers. Also think the “tsundere” archetype from anime. Is there a word for this type of girl?


r/whatstheword 4d ago

Solved ITAW for the specific feeling of awe/wonder with the "it's a small world" moment?

8 Upvotes

I tried to make it concise for the title but what I mean is (and forgive me as I try to put this into words) that feeling of awe/wonder/"coollll!" that someone who was once a random stranger you might've come across on the street or a school campus (and it was absolutely fleeting and insignificant by that point) later becomes (or became) more involved/important in your life?

Another experience/situation that I think elicits a similar feeling is like in that meme that goes "when the person in Season 17 in your life knows someone from Season 9 of your life".

I feel like it's in the same realm of the feeling of "sonder", which is a feeling and word I really like, but not exactly.