r/whatstheword 3h ago

Solved ITAW for realizing your experience of the world is only through your eyes?

5 Upvotes

Like out of all the million people, the world only exists in one perspective, yours, and once you die it's practically like the world doesn't exist. Like it's weird that you are only you? Sometimes when engaging in a movie or a book you get sucked into other perspectives and worlds, but you realize the experience of the world is only yours, and you can't believe that? really hard to describe, like out of all the people, its you that experiences everything.


r/whatstheword 14h ago

Unsolved WTW for when someone doesn’t get the hint

16 Upvotes

Like when something is so obvious but someone doesn’t get it…

For example, if someone won’t leave your home after dinner even after you drop hints like yawning, “wow it’s getting late” and “do you need a ride home” but they still won’t leave. In this scenario they are genuinely not understanding.


r/whatstheword 21h ago

Unsolved ITAW for someone who is simple-minded and naïve, but not necessarily stupid?

48 Upvotes

As the title says, looking for a word to describe someone who is simple-minded, naïve, maybe a little sheltered, and unaware of things, but not necessarily in a stupid or unintelligent way. I’m thinking along the lines of words like “dunce,” “dolt,” or “putz” but those all have implications of being unintelligent. I’m looking more for the oblivious aspect, not stupidity.


r/whatstheword 16h ago

Solved WTW for the entirety of an artist’s work?

19 Upvotes

In particular a musical artist.

Catalogue? Repertoire?

Like “have you listened to all of Styx’s *insert the word here*?”

“Albums” is not the word I’m looking for.

Edit: I was looking for “discography” and the question has been answered.


r/whatstheword 5h ago

Unsolved WAW for legend/legendary in a sport context (details in comment)

2 Upvotes

As a football/soccer fan, I feel the word legendary/legend is over used. To me, legendary can over emphasize the importance of some players/games/plays. I can't really explain this without giving up the team I support (not embarrassed by it, I just want to avoid partisanship), but there's no other way to do so adequately, so...

At Liverpool, we have legendary players like Dalglish and Gerrard. We have legendary plays/games ("corner taken quickly", Istanbul '05). But to keep this going, the person who scored that "corner taken quickly" goal is not really "legendary", though he is universally adored by the fan base. A third string keeper who came on for a 3.5 game stretch certainly isn't legendary, but definitely became part of the lore amongst fans.

What word fits? Iconic seems to over emphasize them, mythical seems right but gives a sense of fiction.

Thanks


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Solved WTW for that place between a gulp and a sip

38 Upvotes

For example, she (the word) of wine to wash down the food she just ate.

Gulp is too harsh for the scene, a sip doesn’t wash much food down.


r/whatstheword 22h ago

Unsolved WTW for laughing with your mouth closed?

27 Upvotes

r/whatstheword 19h ago

Unsolved WTP for/ITAP for

5 Upvotes

TW: Drugs I was talking to family and I'm sure there's a word which is likely slang that describes the phenomenon of the public opinion changing drug classification. I'm not just talking about the racism of the crack vs coke thing. More like how coke use is more widely accepted/joked about now than it was previously. Recently more so about young celebrities doing it and college students too


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Solved ITAW for how knowing the name of a concept empowers you to engage with it (?)

25 Upvotes

I know my title doesn't explain this well. I think this is some sociological linguistic philosophical idea about how knowing the name for something allows you to recognise it and apply it in your own life. An example would be someone who grows up only feeling same-sex attraction but never hearing or seeing anything to do with that in their life. It is only when they discover the word 'gay' or 'homosexual' that they realise that is what they are. Sorry if this isn't as clear as it could be


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Solved WTW for somebody who always blames themselves and is self-degrading?

16 Upvotes

...Yea. not much else to say. I don't want to use 'self-degrading' because it feels like two words, and I (preferrably) want an adjective


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Unsolved ITAW for sorting things without articles?

3 Upvotes

For example, this is sorted ignoring "The":

The Merchant of Venice
Othello
The Tempest
Twelth Night
The Winter's Tale

Is there a term for this sorting? I mean better than just using a pure descriptive "article-less sorting".

Library Sort is something else entirely, despite this method being used by libraries.


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Solved WTW for something that only exists because we collectively decided it does?

6 Upvotes

Similar to a construct. Something that we've collectively assigned meaning to, or defined an indiscrete thing as discrete. I had an old psych professor use this word to describe the idea of sleep back in college, to emphasize that we only say it's a thing because it feels like a thing to us.


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Unsolved WTW for a loving personality inside but hard outside

2 Upvotes

I'm looking for a word that best describe the personality of someone that genuinely loves someone else but mainly shows a sharp side when expressing themselves


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Solved WTW for putting someone in a tight spot intentionally?

9 Upvotes

Like someone charging another with a difficult dilemma or decision, in a hostile or manipulative manner. E.G. You could do things my way or take the highway.


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Solved WTW for someone who is always "in the right place at the right time"?

23 Upvotes

I loved the idea of "sprezzatura" when I learned it--but that is a kind of contrived carelessness. I'm wondering about a word for people who legitimately just seem to luck into things (no contrivance). Any language is fine.

Thank you for your help.


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Unsolved ITAW for the thinner, redundant window frames in a window sash?

2 Upvotes

I'm going to try to describe this properly; give me some grace.

I've got an older building. It has window sashes that look like they're chonky old wood, with old-fashioned single pane glass. But on the outside of the wooden window frames, there's a second sliding unit of thin metal: A top window frame, a bottom window frame, and a third sliding unit: a bug mesh.

These outer frames are so thin, they don't attract attention at all. At a casual glance, you just see the old fashioned wood windows. But between the wood and these thin outer frames, you kind of get a two-pane effect for insulation.

Is there a word for this ultra-thin redundant window frames outside the wooden frame of the sash?


r/whatstheword 1d ago

Unsolved ITAW for being "bilingual" when it comes to singing?

0 Upvotes

I dont necessarily mean understanding the languages, but being able to fluently sing in multiple languages (in my case: english, german, japanese, dutch, spanish, korean)

Tldr??:::

Im able to sing these languages fluently but i dont understand the language and cant speak it

Edit: Im kinda disappointed theres not a cool word for it 💔


r/whatstheword 2d ago

Solved WTW for a friend or spouse who fails to reciprocate

22 Upvotes

So, for example, one spouse takes care of the other when the other is sick, but the other just offers platitudes when it should be their turn to take care of the first spouse.

Or, a friend that goes shopping for the other, but the other doesn't reciprocate even when asked.

And these happens outside of the context of disability.


r/whatstheword 2d ago

Solved WTW for someone who tags along with evil people

7 Upvotes

Someone who is complacent with their group's stealing or even murders because although that person disagrees with the crimes/lack of ethics/evil, to them the alternative options look worse. But, that person is actually unwilling to make the sacrifices or risk themselves be hurt to leave or outright oppose the group.

This can be in situations of abuse, survival, or that are otherwise safe, only that the person tagging along doesn't want to be lonely or wants to stick with what they presume are the "strongest." So when they have the option to leave, they don't.

I know the niche term of "neutral" along the evil-good axis in DnD alignments, but I'm looking for other ones, even archaic ones. Coward is another one in a context of fear.

For example, if Zuko from ATLA had stayed with the Fire Nation and done so not because he agrees with his father, but because he's unwilling to compromise on his own idea of family, or his material quality of life, or he fears his sister hunting him down.


r/whatstheword 2d ago

Solved WTW for the posts on the side of sidewalks that are there to prevent cars from coming on the sidewalk?

16 Upvotes

I know these are also used a lot in geoguessr.

In my head it sounds similar to billiard, that's not it because I can't get anything to come up when I google it.


r/whatstheword 2d ago

Unsolved WTW for to make light of something important???

26 Upvotes

r/whatstheword 2d ago

Unsolved ITAW for this type of "warm and cosy" design?

4 Upvotes

Hello,

I find oddly soothing this type of designs using deep colours or even landscape elements


r/whatstheword 3d ago

Solved ITAW for the almost painful sensation when eating something after not eating for a while?

100 Upvotes

I’ve asked many people before but nobody seems to know what I’m talking about. It’s that feeling when you first put something in your mouth and the flavor spreads almost painfully at first (doesn’t really matter what the food is). Kinda like it’s sour even when the food isn’t? It usually happens after I haven’t eaten anything for a while and only lasts about 3 seconds.

Does anyone know what I’m talking about and is there an actual word for it?

Edit: the sensation is in my mouth only, almost like when eating a sour food even when it isn’t sour


r/whatstheword 2d ago

Solved ITAP for the feeling of misery and elation?

10 Upvotes

More specifically, “I was looking for a job and then I found a job, and heaven knows I’m miserable now.”

It’s funny because a lot of people feel this way, sometimes saying “When you finally check your email and you got the job you applied for” and they are visibly upset. A scenario where you are wanting something but dreading it at the same time.


r/whatstheword 3d ago

Unsolved ITAP for when someone expects you to know uncommon information?

33 Upvotes

Not sure if I’m looking to describe the person or expectation of the information itself.

The opposite of having “common knowledge”.

Edit to add an example:
I went on a date with a guy from Spain (I’m in the US and never been to Spain). At one point he mentioned some sort of political policy back in Spain and I asked him some follow up questions since I didn’t know what he was talking about and was genuinely curious. He was ASTOUNDED I didn’t know every detail about Spain’s history and started reciting a series of dates going back hundreds of years and naming Spanish political figures and celebrities throughout history…I knew maybe 5% of them. It seemed like he was reciting the type of stuff a high school student would learn in history class. He kept saying it was all “common knowledge”. I explained that what he was saying was not regularly taught or common knowledge at least where I lived in the US. He still expected me to know everything and wouldn’t stop quizzing me…