A Word So Sweet
In grade 5, our teacher was running a discussion about words, and why it’s important to choose the right words to express yourself during writing assignments. He asked what some of our favourite/least favourite words were and why, so we could expand our vocabularies.
We’re all taking turns until it gets to be my friend Paige’s turn. She gives her favourite word and explains it’s her favourite because of how sweet it is. We all just assumed she meant how nice it was. She then gives her least favourite word, explaining she hates how sour it is. At this point, the class is looking at each other going… “She just said ‘sour’, right?”
Turns out she has a type of synesthesia, which is a rare condition that causes a person to taste certain tastes when speaking or even thinking certain words. She had lived her whole life thinking it was completely normal to taste words, because it’s such a unique and strange thing that nobody would ever talk about it being a condition. She had tests done later that year, and there were actual chemical changes in her brain and saliva when certain words were said. Pretty fascinating!
For people who are curious as to what her favourite/least favourite words were, I contacted her to ask! She believes her favourite word at the time was cradle, as she found/still finds it very sweet. Her least favourite word was definitely harmonica, as it is so sour she can feel her tongue cramping in the back of her mouth.
Since then, she’s discovered her love of the word “chartreuse” which is a colour. She said it’s a rich, chocolatey-vanilla, almost like a Lindor chocolate. She didn’t realize until she tried wine in high school that she was tasting wine every time she said “guinea,” but only when she’s referring to the animal. She said her least favourite word is definitely still harmonica, but funnily she also never liked her own name, as she would compare the taste to kale, or some other dry, bitter lettuce!
Story credit: Reddit / Knockturnill