Gah Help me find the word I'm thinking of

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In summary, the conversation discusses the longest word in the English language, with various suggestions such as pseudoantidisestablishmentarianism and antidisestablishmentarianism. However, it is noted that the longest word in the English language is the systematic name for DNA, with 207,000 letters. There is also a mention of a word that is created by bashing one's fist on the keyboard, and a joke about SMILES being the longest "world" instead of word.
  • #1
zk4586
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Is there a long word that means separation of church and state? I think it starts with an "A". Help! Please!
 
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  • #2
My friend found one of the ones I was thinking of:

Pseudoantidisestablishmentarianism - False opposition to the withdrawl of State support from a church; Extreme opposition to the withdrawl of State supported church.

But there is another.
 
  • #3
How about...

antidisestablishmentarianism

“Properly, opposition to the disestablishment of the Church of England, but popularly cited as an example of a long word.”
Taken from; http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mantidis.html
[edit]
I finally found out what all the hip-hop talk of 'dissed' is about;
http://akbar.marlboro.edu/~jfarber/sta/antidisestablishmentarianism.html [Broken]
 
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  • #4
I'm sorry, but the site is incorrect in saying that antidisestablishmentarianism is the longest word in the Enlish language.

The longest word in my own personal vocab is "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovalcanoconiosis" (sp?), a disease which was once common to coal miners and popularly reffered to as "black lung". That might be the longest word in our language, or it may not. It's just the longest one I know.
 
  • #5
Did you check the name of that tryptophan synthetase A protein over at the The Straight Dope site?

I think it should be shortened to 'sillybillynillywilly'
 
  • #6
Anti---- isn't the longest word.

But "we" were always told that it was when "we" were younger, weren't "we"?

Anyhow, most words longer than that are medical words. Such as LURCHER exmaple.


Anywho, ZK, I don't like your attitude. If I knew the word I wouldn't tell you. But I will tell you I don't know the word.
 
  • #7
The longest world is *drum roll* SMILES! can anyone guess why?
 
  • #8
From Wiktionary:

207,000 letters

The systematic name of DNA is claimed to have 207,000 letters, but has never been written in full.
 
  • #9
That's pretty funny; give such a long name to something that nobody will ever write it, let alone try to pronounce it!
 
  • #10
Originally posted by BoulderHead
That's pretty funny; give such a long name to something that nobody will ever write it, let alone try to pronounce it!
Just because something has letters, doesn't mean its a word. Example:

nkzhmjnbgvfgtynhbfdsbgtvsdxvbcngmjhngbfvnhmgnbfvnhbnh

Thats what happens when you bash your fist repeatedly against your keyboard.
 
  • #11
Perhaps...

...it has to do with the difference between a word and a name?
 
  • #12
Originally posted by MajinVegeta
The longest world is *drum roll* SMILES! can anyone guess why?
Because there's a mile between the first and last letters.
ba-dump-bump
 
  • #13
Thats what happens when you bash your fist repeatedly against your keyboard.

Really? Last time I did it I just ended up with a broken keyboard.
 

1. What is "Gah" and why do people use it when struggling to find a word?

"Gah" is an expression often used to express frustration or annoyance when struggling to remember a word. It is a common filler word that people use while trying to recall the word they are thinking of.

2. What is the scientific explanation for struggling to find a word?

The phenomenon of struggling to find a word is known as "tip-of-the-tongue" (TOT) and is a common experience for most people. It occurs when the brain has difficulty retrieving a word from memory, even though we know we know the word.

3. How can I improve my ability to recall words?

One way to improve word recall is to practice using retrieval cues, such as visualizing the word or thinking of related words. Another helpful tip is to take breaks and come back to the word later, as sometimes the brain needs time to process and retrieve the information.

4. Is struggling to find a word a sign of a larger cognitive issue?

In most cases, struggling to find a word is a normal and temporary experience. However, for some individuals, it can be a symptom of a larger cognitive issue such as aphasia or a language disorder. If you consistently have difficulty recalling words, it may be beneficial to consult a medical professional.

5. Can certain factors contribute to struggling to find a word?

Yes, there are several factors that can contribute to TOT experiences. These include stress, fatigue, distractions, age, and the complexity of the word. Additionally, individuals who are bilingual or multilingual may experience TOT more frequently as they have more words and languages to retrieve from memory.

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