The Tip of Your Tongue

Think of a time when a word escaped you. Not permanently — you haven't lost the word. You know the word exists, you know it's yours, you've used it before. But right now, if you were trying to retrieve it, it simply won't come. You're reaching into a space where the word should be, and your hand keeps closing on nothing. This happens in ordinary life many times — an actor's name, a specific term for something, a word in a language you know but aren't using constantly. Bring one to mind: a word or name that has that slightly familiar, just-out-of-reach quality. It doesn't have to be a real current failure of retrieval. The memory of that experience will do. Notice what that state actually feels like. Most people describe it as knowing. There's a certainty present that is not accompanied by the content of what you're certain about. You know the word starts with a particular letter — or you think you do. You know how many syllables it has, roughly.