Published! (Er, Sort Of.)

I was just named a runner-up in the most recent Word Fugitive contest at The Atlantic. It's a regular feature at the magazine which invites readers to submit suggestions for a new word which describes an offbeat situation. I responded to their query for a word to describe "that dicey moment when you should introduce two people but can't remember one of their names."

My suggestion was nomstruck, which I thought invoked both the French word for "name" and the stricken feeling I get every time I encounter this situation, which is often. Other finalists were whomnesia, persona non data, nomenclutchure, notworking, mumbleduction, introdeduction, introdiction and ain'troduction, with the winner being Peter Gaffney of Los Angeles, who offered both introducking and introduping:

"If you weasel out of the situation by contriving to get someone else to provide the names, it's introducking. Introduping is giving the appearance of making an introduction without actually so doing."

Although I think my entry is as good as the winner's, I have to admit that I like whomnesia best of all.