Meaning
When you almost remember something but can't quite recall it.
Primary Function
Near-recall.
Communicative Purpose
To indicate struggling to retrieve a word/name.
Pattern
the tip of; the tongue
Core Structure
the tip of; the tongue
Função primária
Near-recall.
Propósito comunicativo
To indicate struggling to retrieve a word/name.
Situações de gatilho
Forgetting names, words in conversation.
Contextos
Everyday talk, presentations.
Padrão
the tip of; the tongue
Estrutura central
the tip of; the tongue
Slots de substituição
[possessive] → my, your, his
Colocados típicos
- it's
- right
- just
- on
Substituições comuns
- on the tip of my tongue
Erros comuns
*on tip of tongue* (missing articles)
Similar / contraste
slip my mind
Interferências
Not about taste.
Família do chunk
- Memory-lapse idioms
Nuance
Frustrated but close.
Efeito pragmático
Invites patience from interlocutor.
Dica de memória
Word balanced on tip of tongue
Nota
Use this phrase when you're trying to recall a word or name but it's just out of reach.
Upgrade path
temporarily inaccessible in my memory (formal)
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