In 1929, a psychologist named Wolfgang Köhler conducted the following experiment: He presented two shapes, one with curves and rounded edges, and one with straight lines and sharp edges, and then asked participants to name them either “maluma” or “takete.” If you would tend to name the round and voluptuous shape maluma, and the thorny edgy fellow takete, then you are like most people. We can associate a picture with just about any word. For example, I recently dialed a number on Long Island, and I got a recording thanking me for my “cawl.” CAWL! What would a cawl look like, if it weren’t a regional pronunciation of call? Here it is:
[Figure 1. A diagram of a geehoo (sketched in blue) is shown. The cawl is indicated with an arrow.]
As illustrated (Fig. 1), the cawl is part of the anatomy of the geehoo, which is related to the wild boar and subsists on a diet of grubs and tender roots. The geehoo uses the cawl to dig up tasty morsels under oak trees in the chaparral of California.
How do you see your words?
My favorite part is that the Geehoo is illustrated on the back of a Safeway receipt.
Apparently too literally.
Cawl is a Welsh stew.
Caul is a membrane–an amniotic sac in which mammals are born. Humans aren’t usually born IN it, but a lot of other mammals are. Some people believe that humans born “in the caul” will have second sight.
Today’s useless knowledge brought to you by the words “insomnia” and “caffeine”!
This post reminds me of “Breakfast of Champions” by Kurt Vonnegut.