Upwards of 90% of people experience ear worms. The word comes from the German “Ohrwurm,” “earwig” which has been adapted to mean musical itch. The term was coined in 1979 by the psychiatrist Cornelius Eckert, and basically, it’s a piece of music -20ish seconds - long that plays on loop in your head, without you requesting it. That last part is key. And good golly, are they annoying to me to sometimes! Especially at 3:02 am when I’m trying to get back to sleep.
But what about the sounds we love? We don’t seem to have a word for those. The elfen snippets or notes that leave a satisfied tang on our tongue. That soothe or charm. The main character in my novel winds the crank on a vintage music box so she can hear the tinny notes of an old song.
Definitely a child's laughter, waves crashing, white noise (like a fan, or the air conditioner), and the rustling of leaves when the wind blows through the trees. I think I might oddly like the sound of silence too...
A crackling fire! And birdsong.
“A crackling fire”, Allison! You say “crackling” and I can hear the tinders collapse, flames dance. This may be my favorite one so far. Thanks!
Your prompts are always fun and thought provoking!
Thank you, Allison!
I love hearing mourning doves on my morning walks.
Gahhhh! Beth, I LOVE this example and the alliteration: "mourning in the morning". Beautiful! Hope you're well. <3
the sound of snow falling
Oh that's a sweet sound! Love it. Thanks Larissa. <3
Definitely a child's laughter, waves crashing, white noise (like a fan, or the air conditioner), and the rustling of leaves when the wind blows through the trees. I think I might oddly like the sound of silence too...
These are delightful, Holly. And I’m with you on white noise. A simple, very appealing sound.
My daughter singing, my neighbor practicing her violin, coffee shop white noise!
The neighbor's violin! Isn't that a beaut? Thanks for these, Sar.
my cats' purrs.
Ah, that’s a real gem Diahann. Love!
Via a DM: “The ocean, birds singing, belly laughs, trains, dogs cronching, ‘I love you Mama’ from my kids
,” - 💗💗💗💗
I love hearing bird song, no matter what type of day. I love being able to identify which bird makes which call. I also love the sound of rain.