Question

[Baker, John]

        An earlier use in the 9/18/87 issue of Newsday quotes alto saxophonist Bobby Watson:

        >>"I like to create little earworms," he says. "That way people
who don't know the technical side of the music will start humming."<<

        Several recent articles discuss earworms and mention other terms for them:

        "'Cognitively infectious' musical loops."  Observer, 4/6/03.

        "Stuck song syndrome," "repetitive refrain injury."  Herald (Glasgow, Scotland), 3/22/03.

        "Sticky tune."  Richmond Times-Dispatch, 3/20/03.  This seems to be the most popular term, after earworm.

        Several sources refer to "endomusia," the silent recall of a melody, citing Hinsie and Campbell, Psychiatric Dictionary, 4th ed.


John Baker



-----Original Message-----
From: Towse [mailto:self at TOWSE.COM]
Sent: Friday, April 25, 2003 1:45 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: Question


> >Is there a word, dialectical or otherwise, that describes the
> >phenomenon of having something stuck in your head? Like a
> >never-ending record of, say, Waltzing Matilda?
> >
> >Kathleen E. Miller

"LeMay, William" wrote:
>
> A minute's googling listed "earworm" as a common term for it.
>
> http://www.rense.com/general35/alone.htm
> <http://www.rense.com/general35/alone.htm>


"earworm" is in quite common use in the groups I frequent on
Usenet.

Checking Googja, the first instance I can find "earworm" used in
a Usenet post is a post to soc.motss 1993-03-18. The person
writing is explaining "ohrwurm" and translates that German word
as "earworm." From that thread, the usage seems to have taken off
in soc.motss and spread from there to other Usenet groups and the
Web.

Best,
Sal
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