My hubby and I were coming back from Ottawa this afternoon when we drove right into a windstorm; one of those that blow over power lines, weaker trees and anything that isn't tied down in your yard.

We were nearly blown off the road a couple of times and my hubby had to hold the wheels at a 20-degree angle to keep the car on the straight line. So I say, "I can't believe how easily our car gets buffeted around." To which he replies, "Oh sure, buffeted, yup we're buffeted alright, that was buffeting if I’ve ever seen it." Which is his charming way of telling me that I was using a word people don’t usually use (dontcha just wanna smack em sometimes )

But it got me to thinking…how DOES one come up with the adequate word for a situation. You don’t stop to search your memory banks when you’re talking, you just spit it out. I could have said blown about or knocked or pushed or any number or words BUT without consciously thinking I said buffeted – which to me is the perfect word.

Has anybody ever seen a paper or study on how the mind processes thoughts to come up with the perfect words? How does our mind, without us consciously thinking about it, choose the words that we use?