What does earworm mean in music?

What does earworm mean in music?

More than 100 years ago, Germans coined the term öhrwurm—earworm—to describe the experience of a song stuck in the brain. Scientists call it other names, like “stuck tune syndrome” and “musical imagery repetition.” But the creepy image of an earworm crawling into people’s brains caught on.

Why do they call it an earworm?

The English word is actually centuries old and was another name for the earwig, which got its name from the belief (happily, very wrong) that they crawled into people’s ears. Hence, earworm.

Is an earworm a good thing?

In most cases, earworms are neutral to pleasant, not serious, and may even be part of your brain’s creative process. In a few cases, especially when they continue for more than 24 hours, earworms may indicate something more serious.

Is earworm literal or figurative?

The term earworm derives from a literal translation of the German word Ohrwurm, which has been used to describe such ‘cognitively infectious’ pieces of music.

How do you use earworms?

Example Sentences

1. This new PitBull song is a real earworm.
2. I have an earworm!
3. Isn’t it odd how an earworm is usually a song that you hate?
4. The new jingle for our breakfast cereal proves to be an earworm.
5. I can’t get rid of the earmworm of the song I have heard today morning.

What do earworms look like?

Description: The larvae of a nocturnal moth, corn earworms are usually muddy brown caterpillars, although some may be green, yellow, pink, reddish brown or dark gray. The colors of corn earworms tend to be pale when they feed on corn, and darker when they feed on tomatoes.

How do you use earworm in a sentence?

Examples of ‘earworm’ in a sentence earworm

1. The cautiously pretty title track is the year’s most penetrating earworm.
2. Once the earworm wriggles into your brain, it is impossible to shift.
3. An earworm is a piece of music that sticks in your mind.
4. This retro track has an earworm of a chorus.

Why do songs make me cry?

Tears and chills – or “tingles” – on hearing music are a physiological response which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, as well as the reward-related brain regions of the brain. Certain pieces of music can remind us of past events, experiences and people, triggering memories and associated emotions.

When was earworm added to the dictionary?

earworm n (1802) 1 : corn earworm 2 : a song or melody that keeps repeating in one’s mind [“this summer’s example being the inescapable Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen.”]

Is earworm a figure of speech?

Earworms are considered to be a common type of involuntary cognition. Some of the phrases often used to describe earworms include “musical imagery repetition” and “involuntary musical imagery”.

Is an earworm an actual worm?

Has an earworm crawled into your head and started gnawing on your brain, looping a specific song until you go crazy? Although not literally worms, the process of having a song stuck in your head affects most of the population.

What is the meaning of earworm?

Definition of earworm 1 : corn earworm 2 : a song or melody that keeps repeating in one’s mind Examples of earworm in a Sentence

What triggers earworms in music?

Interestingly, both low attention states such as dreaming and mind-wandering, and highly focused musical practice, seemed to be capable of triggering earworms. While this project answered many questions, it also left me eager to know more. It seems that earworms can be in any musical genre, from Pearl Jam to Prokofiev.

Why does Johnny always get an earworm?

Johnny always gets an earworm – whenever he listen the songs of Pink Floyd. The first mention of something like this can be found in Mark Twain’s “A Literary Nightmare” published in 1876. It tells the story of a musical phrase that can only be erased from one’s head by passing it on to another.

How often do you get earworms?

Variously called “earworms,” “sticky songs” or “involuntary musical imagery,” one study found that nearly 92% of people report having such an experience once a week or more frequently (Liikkanen 2008). What do we know about the conditions that trigger earworms?