We are back in our school routine, and part of that is swapping back over from fend-for-yourself snacks and dinners during much of the summer to scheduled and planned meals. And, those meals usually include some kind of quick family game of cards or trivia of some sort. This week, we discovered a new-to-us game that is a lot of fun and on-brand for our family: Origins of Expressions. In this game, players have 90 seconds to jot down what they either know a phrase means, or make up their best guess, as well as where they think it came from. Some memorable phrases we have guessed and giggled our way through so far at the dinner table include “against the grain,” “party pooper,” and “ill wind.” Those were some hysterical guesses.
Words and phrases are something we have always discussed in our family. Our kids have large vocabularies, but sometimes words and phrases get mixed up and the results can be devastating or hilarious–and every mix-up is a learning opportunity. Some words and phrases we let slide, of course, mostly because they are adorable when kids are little. My son used to say “bixit” for “biscuit,” for example. But, some mix-ups have to be corrected because words have power, even if that power is just clear communication. And, sometimes, words have an almost magical ability to remind us of other things, or jog our memories regarding a forgotten task. I was chatting with someone the other day and she said the phrase “magic word” (but not in the truly Southern remind-you-to-say-Thank-You way), and it suddenly reminded me that I’d forgotten to compose an email I needed to send. It was a seemingly random connection that my brain made, and I was grateful for the nudge.
This “magical” reminder got me thinking about how our brains make the connections they spin out constantly. I get it when it comes to visual images reminding us of other, similar images. That tangible, sensory connection makes sense: bare tree branches do look a lot like sea coral/lace/root systems/ maps, and so on–but the ways our brains can make connections from seemingly random words and phrases amazes me.
So, I looked it up. There are a lot of studies and articles about this exact topic!
Apparently, when we read or are conversing with others, our brains are continuously trying to predict what is about to be said, or why something is being said, as if a background program is running as we go about our days. Each time we see or hear or read something, our brain is shuffling and clicking through previous understandings and situations and images, comparing them, and recognizing non-verbal clues–these puzzle pieces are constantly being tried and fit together to create meaning. When we learn a new word, phrase, or concept, poof! We suddenly have a new reference stored for later.
Sometimes, those references get jumbled up, though, and we end up with malapropisms (when one word is accidentally used in place of another–and often in a humorous way), unintended puns, and so on. There are times, though, when these references are jumbled or swapped on purpose, as a tool writers, poets, songwriters, comedians use to great effect. This type of word play can be hilarious, poignant, powerful, even magical. The ability to engage in intentional word play is one that requires mental flexibility, reading comprehension, and a large vocabulary–all of which do much more than help us put punny sayings on cards (you donut want to miss out on that!). These skills keep our brains young, healthy, help prevent dementia, and can provide hours of entertainment, as well.
Just ask my family after reading everyone’s origin guesses of “party pooper” after dinner the other night.
