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Re: "a word that you have never seen before and all of a sudden it's showing up everywhere. Is there a word that means that sort of thing?

You're not thinking of "Grapho" are you?

Just kiddin'. My wings are clipped.

Actually, I think the word you are looking for is "ubiquitous".

This from the American Heritage Dictionary:

Being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent: “plodded through the shadows fruitlessly like an ubiquitous spook”[or a gnat] (Joseph Heller).





#125679 03/22/04 11:44 AM
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I don't think anybody's quite got it yet. Serendipity implies some sort of happy coincidence that's lacking in what I want. The phenomenon isn't limited to words; if I were driving a white car for five years and then bought a red car suddenly I see more than my share of red cars, so I'm going to dismiss all the logo- words. Recognition is getting there, but I don't think it's quite specific enough. It's probably a psych term of some sort.


#125680 03/22/04 12:17 PM
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Don't know of any word for it, Faldo, but I sure do know what you mean!


#125681 03/22/04 06:19 PM
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if I were driving a white car for five years and then bought a red car suddenly I see more than my share of red cars

Maybe it's just "projection", Faldage.

To see what's always been there
Often takes more than a stare
Sometimes it's a bump
Or a kick in the rump
That makes us become aware.




#125682 03/22/04 08:15 PM
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Sometimes it's a bump Or a kick in the rump

The road to the top is paved with banana peels.

Let this be a lesson to all
However your station so tall
You may slip in the slop
On your way to the top
Then you're back in the slop with us all.





#125683 03/22/04 10:29 PM
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I have to admit that the word I usually use in this case is "annoying." The word get overused and it gets on your nerves. Same thing with cars and clothing and anything that becomes a fad.


#125684 03/22/04 10:39 PM
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re:The phenomenon isn't limited to words; if I were driving a white car for five years and then bought a red car suddenly I see more than my share of red cars,

this is almost a paradigm.
there was an article about the 'discovery' of the ozone hole over south pole.. for years scientist had been taking reading of ozone/atmosphere, and often, the data over the south pole 'fell of the scale' they just ignored it, and presumed it was some sort of problem about the angle the information had been measured at, or relections from polar ice causing problems, etc.. but finally one day, on young scientist deside to find out why the data from the area of the south pole was some times 'irregular' what he discovered was the data was correct! there was an ozone 'hole' over the south pole. it wasn't new data, just a new look at old stuff, and seeing something new. a paradigm shift. (is shift reduntent there? no matter, i am leaving it)

(until we had a thread on the term 'sea change', i never saw it.. since then, i have re-read some books, and found the expression in use. obviously, i had missed it first time round!)
paradigm might not be the word you are looking for.. but am i getting closer to the general idea?


#125685 03/23/04 12:17 AM
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I have to admit that the word I usually use in this case is "annoying." The word get overused and it gets on your nerves. Same thing with cars and clothing and anything that becomes a fad.

bel, no, that's not it. Can you remember ever learning the meaning of a word/concept and then suddenly seeing it everywhere, maybe because you'd never noticed it before (until you learned it)?


#125686 03/23/04 02:13 AM
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suddenly seeing it everywhere, maybe because you'd never noticed it before (until you learned it)? I can't be sure, but I don't think there's a psychological term for this phenomenon. Heightened awareness is all I can think of.




#125687 03/23/04 07:41 AM
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That's close to what I would call it, Jackie - 'to gain a new awareness'.


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