Nighttime Wakefulness is Like a Streak-Free Window

Remember the conversation we had with Patty who wanted a term for being awake at night or that period of wakefulness when you wake up in the middle of the night and you just can’t go to sleep.

Yeah, we weren’t really sure what to call it though. I think you had talked about second sleep, but that’s the second sleep. That’s not the period in between the first and second sleep.

Right, right. And the French call it Dorvay. That prompted an email from Twyla Morris in Sacramento, California. And she said that she and her husband have a word for this, and the word is squeegee.

And she says it’s because when we were married in the early 90s, nighttime TV would consist of those half-hour infomercials for cleaning products. If one of us woke and decided to quietly watch a bit of TV, there was invariably a show extolling the marvels of the latest miracle product.

We were fascinated that they could spend half an hour on the wonders of a squeegee. Hence our catchphrase, did you squeegee last night?

I love it. We’re always looking for family language, the stuff that only you and your loved ones say, but you’re pretty sure the rest of the world would love to use too.

We’d like to hear it, 877-929-9673, or tell us in email, words@waywordradio.org.