On the tip of my tongue

One of the symptoms of dementia, or Alsheimer Disease, is loss of short term memory. One feature of this phenomenon is when one cannot recall a familiar word or name or situation, but with much effort one may eventually recall the elusive memory.

Acquired Hydrocephalus also mimics this form of "presque vu". Meaning "almost seen" from the French, this term is the sensation of being on the brink of an epiphany. Often very disorienting and distracting, presque vu rarely leads to an actual breakthrough. Frequently, one experiencing presque vu will say that they have something "on the tip of their tongue."

My guess is that people suffering from any form of memory recall malady wouldn't appreciate l'esprit de l'escalier. They're too busy thinking of the appropriate word.

I've been here before

I wasn't always intrigued by words that are unique and express some sort of situation, feeling or experience. This fascination came about when one day a work colleague asked me "if I ever experienced a feeling of already doing something". I retorted "do you mean déjà vu?" A sudden look of horror on his face and an almost instantaneous blurting out, "there's a word for it! I have to admit that I sensed a bit of schadenfreude when I robbed him of that unique feeling, that until that moment, was entirely his.