Wordie: Earworm: Comments

Comment by MiaLuthien, 2 months ago

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:08:10 +0000

Thanks, P. I knew it had a name, and now I have one more ****-related name to watch out for!

This would have been listed as my "least favorite word", if I could stand to have it on my profile.

Comment by Prolagus, 2 months ago

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:06:03 +0000

It should be ~~helmintophobia~~ helminthophobia, Mia.

Comment by dontcry, 2 months ago

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:45:28 +0000

Cutting off of ears! Absurd!

Comment by MiaLuthien, 2 months ago

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:24:36 +0000

The latter, Dontcry, and I'm not joking :/

BTW, who on earth has an ear phobia? And what do they do, then – cut their ears off? Ow.

Comment by dontcry, 2 months ago

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:19:54 +0000

Mia -- do you have an 'ear' phobia or a 'worm' phobia?

Comment by MiaLuthien, 2 months ago

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:01:23 +0000

Eugh, just eugh. Please be advised not to use this word in a conversation with me. I have a ****-phobia (what's the correct word for it?). It's an apt coinage, but an ugly word *totally grossed-out* *selective memory on*

Comment by reesetee, 7 months ago

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 16:30:46 +0000

It is creepy, in a sort of ingenious way. What will earworms be teaching us next? ;-)

Comment by sionnach, 8 months ago

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:55:06 +0000

That's just plain kreepy, r_t!

Deutschland, Deutschland uber a-ha-lles,
uber alle-es in de-her Welt....

One can be sure that they will have kreepily chipper salesfolks in airline terminals throughout the land. perhaps we can look forward to some pitched battles between them and the Rosetta Stone Drones ...

Myself, I'm learning Italian because, as a simple peasant boy, it's gonna be my key to meeting hot supermodels and impressing them with my syntactical synergies...

Dove il gabinetto, per piacere?

Comment by reesetee, 8 months ago

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:43:33 +0000

This just in:

Feb 13, 2008 12:00 ET
Berlitz to Launch New Language Learning Program, Earworms MBT

Best-Selling Audio-Book Uses Catchy Tunes to Teach Foreign Languages

NEW YORK, Feb. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Berlitz is pleased to announce the addition of the best-selling range of audio-books, Earworms Musical Brain Trainer (MBT). Renowned as one of the world's premier foreign language organizations, Berlitz is bringing this groundbreaking concept to North American retail outlets beginning March 2008.

Earworms MBT takes an entirely new and innovative approach to language learning. Based on the science behind catchy songs that become stuck in one's head (the auditory cortex), Earworms works by pairing melodic music with soft spoken foreign words, phrases and their translations. The result: an incredibly effective method for learning conversational foreign languages by simply listening. Unlike other language programs, which require intense grammar exercises and repetitive drills, the Earworms method requires minimum concentration. The trainer is user-friendly, effective, and relaxing, allowing the listener to unwind while simultaneously learning a new language.

God help us.

Comment by reesetee, 11 months ago

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:34:41 +0000

Well, if nothing else, you'll have a seasonally appropriate earworm...TODAY, anyway. :-|

Comment by SonofGroucho, 11 months ago

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:01:02 +0000

Now that is just cruel!

Comment by chained_bear, 11 months ago

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:47:05 +0000

Some BASTARD just sent me to a site that plays the Monster Mash. DAMMIT!!!

Comment by reesetee, 11 months ago

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:55:27 +0000

I don't know, cathari. Seems to me that cats would be clever enough to have a way to obliterate earworms the second they hear them. ;-)

Comment by cathari, 11 months ago

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:22:45 +0000

I had never heard Popcorn before, and I was so curious I had to go listen to it. Tellurian's reaction was "you want to give yourself an earworm?"

Now that I've played it a few times through, though, I kind of feel bad for my cats, who probably have it now...

Comment by reesetee, 11 months ago

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:54:07 +0000

Oh no! Now it's running through my head!

Comment by chained_bear, 11 months ago

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:38:15 +0000

Another fine example: the Wallace & Gromit theme.

Comment by SonofGroucho, 11 months ago

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 21:25:51 +0000

That has to be the ultimate earworm song!!

Comment by rocksinmypockets, 11 months ago

Sat, 20 Oct 2007 04:15:25 +0000

Oh my, that's great. Thanks for the smorgasbord of annoyingly peppy music, uselessness! No wonder it seemed so familiar and yet hard to place.

Comment by Jrome, 11 months ago

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:05:47 +0000

I gotta say, there's another ditty that can play all day round here: Lady (Here me tonight) by MoDJo. Hear song and see video under lady

Comment by uselessness, 11 months ago

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:45:33 +0000

See discussion at shirt. It means we want earworm merch. :-)

Comment by angharad, 11 months ago

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:43:29 +0000

Why is this tagged "shirt"? If that's an earworm, I don't get it.

Comment by uselessness, 11 months ago

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:34:40 +0000

It's called "Popcorn," originally recorded by the band Hot Butter. Because of its notoriety as an obnoxious earworm, it's been covered probably more than any other song ever. There are so many versions floating around, it's not even funny. Here are 79 of them you can download. I have no idea what version is playing on this page, they're all the same to me. More information (and still more versions to download) available here.

Comment by rocksinmypockets, 11 months ago

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 08:28:57 +0000

What is the soundtrack, anyway? I might want to get a copy. :D

Comment by reesetee, 12 months ago

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:09:45 +0000

Thank heavens for small blessings. ;->

Comment by uselessness, 12 months ago

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:18:27 +0000

I think it's a matter of the remote server coming and going. It's not the most reliable place to load music from. ;-)

Comment by jennarenn, 12 months ago

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 23:31:09 +0000

The soundtrack is back! Who did that?

*huming along*

Comment by npydyuan, 12 months ago

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:26:38 +0000

I think she may have changed some of the words a little bit. My eldest daughter wanted it, so I said okay 'cause I was tired of listening to the Wonder Pets theme song.... There's an animal in trouble! (There's an animal in twouble...)! (Cue 5- and 3-year-old paroxysms.)

Comment by uselessness, 12 months ago

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:21:08 +0000

It's hardly a children's song, really, other than the part about candy.

Comment by npydyuan, 12 months ago

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:17:59 +0000

Yeah, Big Rock Candy Mountain.... but Lisa Loeb does a very pleasantly ethereal version of it, I must say. Got it from iTunes, off some children's album.

Comment by reesetee, 12 months ago

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:04:02 +0000

Somehow I think it could happen, what with John and uselessness on the case. :-P

Comment by rocksinmypockets, 12 months ago

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:06:55 +0000

But can we add this soundtrack to the earworm merch? Teeheehee.

Comment by reesetee, 12 months ago

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 12:41:00 +0000

I just use the old Torture Your Sibling trick. Walk through the room where some unsuspecting victim is innocently working, reading, or otherwise engaged, start humming the earworm, walk out as you're finishing the hummed tune, and poof! Earworm has been transferred to its next host.

It's not nice, but it's effective. Hey, you have to save yourself.

P.S. John, we definitely need some earworm merch. ;-)

Comment by rocksinmypockets, 12 months ago

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 04:31:13 +0000

What always works for me, in terms of getting rid of earworms, is humming my favorite childhood song. It never gets stuck, but it has enough oomph to derail the worm. I think the smurf song would just be another earworm for me.

And, I have to agree with npydyuan on Big Rock Candy Mountain. Ug!

Comment by jennarenn, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 21:48:28 +0000

I have a student named Quinn this year. I've been playing Quinn the Eskimo in my head ever since planning week. Every time I call the child's name, it starts over.

Moral: Don't name your child Quinn.

Comment by reesetee, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 20:17:33 +0000

Clearly, someone unchained the bear.

Comment by npydyuan, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:57:57 +0000

IN THE BIG ROCK CANDY MOUNTAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*collapses in quivering heap*

Comment by chained_bear, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:40:06 +0000

There's a lake of stew, and of whiskey too, you can paddle all around them in a big canoe...

Comment by npydyuan, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:00:18 +0000

Why? Why is the bear torturing me?

Comment by chained_bear, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:19:29 +0000

...where they hung the jerk that invented work...

Comment by npydyuan, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:03:58 +0000

Aaaaaaaaighhh!!!! Make it stop!!!!!

Comment by chained_bear, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:59:50 +0000

There ain't no short-handled shovels, no axes, saws, or picks...

Comment by reesetee, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:04:58 +0000

Must...leave...earworm...page....

Comment by uselessness, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:59:06 +0000

...the bulldogs all have rubber teeth and the hens lay soft-boiled eggs...

Comment by npydyuan, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:52:33 +0000

Oh, of course. And now I have in my head a slurry of all these bits of ditties swimming around... like an auditory analog of the miasma from the Kmart receiving room I worked in, long ago, particularly the area where health & beauty aids overlapped with all the candies & gums, which was never quite far enough away from the trash compactor!

Comment by uselessness, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:39:07 +0000

By worst, npydyuan, I think you mean best. Of course.

Comment by npydyuan, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:25:36 +0000

Personal worst earworm song: "Big Rock Candy Mountain" from O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack.

Comment by wizmical, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:13:23 +0000

visual effects: ff to 2:56

Comment by reesetee, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:34:10 +0000

"It's a Small World After All" can drive me to drink.

Comment by chained_bear, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:09:56 +0000

I think the "Chicken Dance" tune is the worst earworm ever.

Comment by reesetee, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:02:16 +0000

NOOOOOOOOOOO! *clutches head*

Comment by John, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:59:47 +0000

One effective way to remove an earworm is to sing--to yourself, unless you want people to think you're crazy--the smurph's song. It's like an inoculation--it's close to being an earworm, but it isn't. But if you hum a few bars ("la la la la la la, sing a happy song..."), it'll dislodge another one.

Comment by reesetee, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:51:41 +0000

Weird. Neither of the computers I use lets me hear it. I suppose that should be considered a good thing.

Wait! I spoke to soon. Now I hear it.

Comment by npydyuan, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:46:00 +0000

No. It's still playing.
And playing.
And playing....

Comment by reesetee, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:34:00 +0000

Thanks, seanahan. For a second, I thought I was being gaslighted. Though it took me long enough to realize it. ;-)

Comment by seanahan, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:22:37 +0000

There used to be an earworm playing here. I think it was removed.

Comment by reesetee, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:11:33 +0000

Wait a minute--there's an earworm playing on this page? Or am I misunderstanding?

Comment by rocksinmypockets, 12 months ago

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 02:24:00 +0000

Perhaps I should have said that I love it in theory. It is a clever little twist, and so perfectly appropriate for the listing.

Oh, hell, I'm probably enough of a dork to still love it tomorrow, who am I kidding?

Comment by jennarenn, 12 months ago

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 22:27:27 +0000

But will you still love it tomorrow?

Comment by rocksinmypockets, 12 months ago

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 18:51:38 +0000

I just love the fact the the listing comes with it's own infecting, infesting little earworm.

Comment by chained_bear, about 1 year ago

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:37:08 +0000

Me too, slumry. Eee, it just todally skeeves me out.

Comment by slumry, about 1 year ago

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:02:57 +0000

This is a useful and colorful word, but every time it comes up, it gives me the creeps--I guess I have had a too-vivid imagination about earwigs!

Comment by slumry, about 1 year ago

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:58:44 +0000

That's good, R! I guess I was out of pocket five days ago!

Comment by reesetee, about 1 year ago

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 08:09:32 +0000

Here's a good suggestion. ;-)

Comment by slumry, about 1 year ago

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 14:38:09 +0000

Remember "I had a little peanut, a little peanut...it was rotten...etc, (ad nauseum)" It is a wonder my brother didn't kill me over that. And if not that, "Have you seen the ghost of Tom...long white bones with the skin all gone..." or something like that. . .

Comment by reesetee, about 1 year ago

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 14:34:49 +0000

Oh, I see, amcd56. That was a game among my sibilings and me--okay, it still is. Walk through the room, hum a few bars of a particularly earworm-inspiring sort, and then wait for someone else to start humming it without realizing the earworm has invaded.

Meantime, if you're lucky, you've gotten rid of said earworm. Such joy. :-)

Comment by uselessness, about 1 year ago

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 09:13:26 +0000

Which, of course, was fully my intent. I hide proudly behind the anonymity of the internet.

Comment by amcd56, about 1 year ago

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 06:18:56 +0000

I meant that it was mean to put that song into my head for me to hear all day. (:

Comment by reesetee, about 1 year ago

Thu, 31 May 2007 07:36:49 +0000

Not mean--just truthful. :-) And besides, it's usually not a person anyway, at least not for me. It's some inanimate object like, say, a CD. Which makes it my fault in the first place!

Comment by jennarenn, about 1 year ago

Thu, 31 May 2007 05:42:28 +0000

I like the soundtrack. :)

Comment by amcd56, about 1 year ago

Thu, 31 May 2007 00:21:37 +0000

Oooooh - that was mean.

Comment by reesetee, about 1 year ago

Wed, 30 May 2007 18:09:11 +0000

"Medications that are used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder or anxiety can alleviate the symptoms of earworms."

Thus spake Wikipedia. But really--can these medications eliminate the person responsible for planting the damn thing in your head? I think not.

Comment by uselessness, about 1 year ago

Wed, 30 May 2007 13:48:24 +0000

A song or catchy tune that gets stuck in your head for hours or even days. At first it's fun, but eventually you'll want to kill whatever idiot was responsible for the torture.