Word association

[radegund]

In a completely incongruous context (sample letter of invitation to join the Editorial Board of an academic journal), I came across the word "dinner". I was struck by what a strong image this word called to mind. Dinner, for me, means a very specific thing: A china plate, tilted slightly, from which I am scraping with the edge of my fork the last mouthful of gravy-soaked mashed potato. The texture of the memory is overwhelmingly acute.

Now that I think about it, this turns out to be based on a memory of eating in my grandmother's house, which we did on most Friday evenings when I was maybe between twelveish and sixteenish. I don't know why this particular association should be so very strong (after all, it's only a tiny element in my experience of eating dinner), but there it is. I bet it's not the only word to which such an image applies, either, although I can't think of any others at the moment.

Am I weird, or can you relate?

Comments

[yiskah.livejournal.com]

I think I can relate, but I can't think of any examples at the moment...

[jinxremoving.livejournal.com]

dinner invokes a similar image for me. it's also got a dark green sort of mood, is formal, and smells of gravy.

[ainetl.livejournal.com]

i can relate, but i relate it to the word "supper" instead of "dinner". do you use "supper" there? when i grew up it was used by farmers and it wasn't exactly a cultured affair.