I'm sure we've heard the idiom, "Cat got your tongue?"
But from my past lived experiences with autism spectrum disorder, the experience it describes is real. This can be a moment where speech simply stalls. It's not because we don't know what to say, but because translating our thoughts into spoken words can sometimes be more difficult than we may realise.
In the video here, I explore how this idiom can capture this strange, frustrating freeze that can happen when our brains may get overwhelmed or overloaded with too much information.
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Have you ever paused to think about how bizarre our everyday language actually is? If someone ever told you to "spill the beans," did you imagine getting a confession, or get a sudden, chaotic image of baked beans rolling across the kitchen floor? Going back to when I was young and growing up, my brain […]
Yes those idioms can be hard to understand. Even people without having Autism, we get new immigrants from other countries that get confused with them. And then translating to other people can be a communication gap especially when you're stuck for words. I can understand about the brain being overwhelmed and overloaded with too much information.
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. I appreciate you sharing your perspective.
You've made a really important and interesting point about how idioms can be confusing not just for autistic people, but also for those learning a new language. For me this can highlight how much of everyday communication relies on shared understanding that isn’t always obvious.
I can also relate to what you said about the feeling of being overwhelmed or stuck for words. For me, that can be where phrases like “cat got your tongue” take on a more personal meaning, as they reflect something that’s happening internally as well as externally.
One thing I see is, it is interesting how language can help to connect us and create gaps at the same time.