--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Quite often people ask me 'Is there a…" description: "\"Quite often people ask me 'Is there a word for... ' and go on to highlight a gap in our language that we need to fill.\" — Susie Dent" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/susie-dent-8218_gap_quite-often-people-ask-me-is-there-a-wor_2040565.jpg" --- # Quite often people ask me 'Is there a word for... ' and go… ![“Quite often people ask me 'Is there a word for... ' and go on to highlight a gap in our language that we need to fill.” quote by Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/susie-dent-8218_gap_quite-often-people-ask-me-is-there-a-wor_2040565.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/susie-dent-8218_gap_quite-often-people-ask-me-is-there-a-wor_2040565.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c78/susie-dent-8218_gap_quite-often-people-ask-me-is-there-a-wor_2040565.jpg) > “Quite often people ask me 'Is there a word for... ' and go on to highlight a gap in our language that we need to fill.” [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People notice missing words, highlighting gaps that language must fill to describe experience. **In simple terms:** We notice when language lacks a term. Key Takeaway Create words for unexpressed concepts. Themes language communication creativity Mood curious inquisitive Type linguistic educational When to use this quote - education - writing - branding - social media Key Concepts linguistics semantic theory Questions to Reflect On - What concepts lack a name today? - How does naming shape perception? A Different Perspective New terms can be misinterpreted or overused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Okay, I got one word to ask you, a one word question, ready?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/okay-i-got-one-word-to-ask-you-a-one-word-question-ready/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [When it comes to telling children stories, they don’t need simple language. They need beautiful language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/when-it-comes-to-telling-children-stories-they-don-t-need-simple/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [If we had the right words, if we had the language, we would need no weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingeborg-bachmann/if-we-had-the-right-words-if-we-had-the-language-we-would-need-no/) [Ingeborg Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingeborg-bachmann/) > [To learn any foreign language first you need to fall in love with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-shchedrina-luckyoptimistcom/to-learn-any-foreign-language-first-you-need-to-fall-in-love-with-it/) Svetlana Shchedrina \| LuckyOptimistcom > [“Translators need a lot of skills besides fluency in at least two languages; translators need to be excellent writers in their native language and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-mckay/translators-need-a-lot-of-skills-besides-fluency-in-at-least-two/) [Corinne McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-mckay/) > [The skills gap is a reflection of what we value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-rowe/the-skills-gap-is-a-reflection-of-what-we-value/) [Mike Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-rowe/) > [We need a strong farm bill that gives assistance to farmers during times of drought, creates markets for local goods, protects our environment, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/we-need-a-strong-farm-bill-that-gives-assistance-to-farmers-during/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [“When we fail to reflect on the undercurrents of the circumstances of our life, we may have permanent misgivings about the quality of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/when-we-fail-to-reflect-on-the-undercurrents-of-the-circumstances-of/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [My friends went on gap years and I just stayed in London.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-toffolo/my-friends-went-on-gap-years-and-i-just-stayed-in-london/) [Georgia Toffolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-toffolo/) > [Surrealism was necessary - essential, even - in the 1920s to bridge the gap between rationalism and the subconscious. It started something important. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/surrealism-was-necessary-essential-even-in-the-1920s-to-bridge-the/) [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/) > [Today 80 percent of all the oil that comes out of the Gulf is from 1,000 feet or more and today almost a third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-graham/today-80-percent-of-all-the-oil-that-comes-out-of-the-gulf-is-from-1/) [Bob Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-graham/) > [“Underachievers are not always lazy or lacking motivation. Underachievement can result from external barriers, lack of support or resources, and mental or physical health…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asuni-ladyzeal/underachievers-are-not-always-lazy-or-lacking-motivation/) Asuni LadyZeal > [Bridge the gap with closed minds though careful dissection of ideas and solid presentation of fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maximillian-degenerez/bridge-the-gap-with-closed-minds-though-careful-dissection-of-ideas/) [Maximillian Degenerez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maximillian-degenerez/) > [To cover politics in Washington allows you to live in the very, very wide gap between what the actual truth is, and how people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/to-cover-politics-in-washington-allows-you-to-live-in-the-very-very/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [The so-called skills gap is really a gap in education, and that affects all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-davidson/the-so-called-skills-gap-is-really-a-gap-in-education-and-that/) [Adam Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-davidson/) ## More by Susie Dent > [According to my parents, I've always liked to tune into the conversations of others. But rather than hope for a snippet of salacious gossip,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-dent/according-to-my-parents-i-ve-always-liked-to-tune-into-the/) [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) > [As dialect began to be collected in the late 19th century, such words as Yorkshire's 'gobslotch' emerged, revealing the burgeoning association between gluttony and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-dent/as-dialect-began-to-be-collected-in-the-late-19th-century-such-words/) [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) > [In the earliest days, make-up and moralising were intertwined. The 'cosmetic slops and washes' of the 17th and 18th centuries aimed to smooth complexions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-dent/in-the-earliest-days-make-up-and-moralising-were-intertwined-the/) [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) > [I don't intentionally eavesdrop. I'm not looking for salacious gossip, I'm just looking for vocabulary items.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-dent/i-don-t-intentionally-eavesdrop-i-m-not-looking-for-salacious-gossip/) [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) > [Above all, Jane Goodall continues to teach us that, as humans, we are no more entitled to our glorious planet than the chimps she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-dent/above-all-jane-goodall-continues-to-teach-us-that-as-humans-we-are-no/) [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) > [The notion of 'Queen's English' is usually applied to our pronunciation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-dent/the-notion-of-queen-s-english-is-usually-applied-to-our-pronunciation/) [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) > [Slang has different functions: many of the words we use are playful and a lot are tribal - we speak the same way as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-dent/slang-has-different-functions-many-of-the-words-we-use-are-playful/) [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) > [English has always been a mongrel tongue, snapping up words from every continent its speakers encountered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-dent/english-has-always-been-a-mongrel-tongue-snapping-up-words-from-every/) [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) > [As a nation we love our dialects, and there is a lot of regional variance in the names for different foods - barmcake, bap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-dent/as-a-nation-we-love-our-dialects-and-there-is-a-lot-of-regional/) [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) > [The one thing - apart from assumptions about German - that I have to challenge frequently is people assuming that lexicographers are fierce protectors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-dent/the-one-thing-apart-from-assumptions-about-german-that-i-have-to/) [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) > [The character of our language defines us, and dictionaries say as much about us as about the way we speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-dent/the-character-of-our-language-defines-us-and-dictionaries-say-as-much/) [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) > [Almost half the adult population finds discussing the subject of money difficult. Slang words help us to navigate these conversations by making us feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-dent/almost-half-the-adult-population-finds-discussing-the-subject-of/) [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) > [Youthquake' wasn't an entirely predictable choice for Oxford's Word of 2017. It hasn't been on the lips of an entire nation, nor is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-dent/youthquake-wasn-t-an-entirely-predictable-choice-for-oxford-s-word-of/) [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) > [We are surrounded by hundreds of 'tribes,' each speaking their own distinct slanguage of colourful words, jokes and phrases that together form an idiosyncratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-dent/we-are-surrounded-by-hundreds-of-tribes-each-speaking-their-own/) [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) > [Language is essentially tribal, so jargon can actually be a really good thing because it unites people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-dent/language-is-essentially-tribal-so-jargon-can-actually-be-a-really/) [Susie Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) [Explore all 83 Susie Dent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-dent/) ## More Gap quotes > [The so-called skills gap is really a gap in education, and that affects all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-davidson/the-so-called-skills-gap-is-really-a-gap-in-education-and-that/) [Adam Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-davidson/) > [To cover politics in Washington allows you to live in the very, very wide gap between what the actual truth is, and how people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/to-cover-politics-in-washington-allows-you-to-live-in-the-very-very/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [Bridge the gap with closed minds though careful dissection of ideas and solid presentation of fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maximillian-degenerez/bridge-the-gap-with-closed-minds-though-careful-dissection-of-ideas/) [Maximillian Degenerez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maximillian-degenerez/) > [“Underachievers are not always lazy or lacking motivation. Underachievement can result from external barriers, lack of support or resources, and mental or physical health…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asuni-ladyzeal/underachievers-are-not-always-lazy-or-lacking-motivation/) Asuni LadyZeal > [Today 80 percent of all the oil that comes out of the Gulf is from 1,000 feet or more and today almost a third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-graham/today-80-percent-of-all-the-oil-that-comes-out-of-the-gulf-is-from-1/) [Bob Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-graham/) > [Surrealism was necessary - essential, even - in the 1920s to bridge the gap between rationalism and the subconscious. It started something important. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/surrealism-was-necessary-essential-even-in-the-1920s-to-bridge-the/) [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/) > [My friends went on gap years and I just stayed in London.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-toffolo/my-friends-went-on-gap-years-and-i-just-stayed-in-london/) [Georgia Toffolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-toffolo/) > [“When we fail to reflect on the undercurrents of the circumstances of our life, we may have permanent misgivings about the quality of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/when-we-fail-to-reflect-on-the-undercurrents-of-the-circumstances-of/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [We need a strong farm bill that gives assistance to farmers during times of drought, creates markets for local goods, protects our environment, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/we-need-a-strong-farm-bill-that-gives-assistance-to-farmers-during/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [The skills gap is a reflection of what we value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-rowe/the-skills-gap-is-a-reflection-of-what-we-value/) [Mike Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-rowe/) > [The raw wage gap number is not a measure of equal pay for equal work. It is a comparison of averages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/the-raw-wage-gap-number-is-not-a-measure-of-equal-pay-for-equal-work/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [Pundits are used to analyzing the gap between what our ideals suggest and what our security interests require.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/pundits-are-used-to-analyzing-the-gap-between-what-our-ideals-suggest/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Children without access to quality early education programs start kindergarten with an 18-month disadvantage, and that gap continues to widen. By the time they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shriver/children-without-access-to-quality-early-education-programs-start/) [Mark Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shriver/) > [“We help leaders measure and manage culture. Specifically, we help them establish a reliable culture metric, measure the gap between the culture they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanya-mann/we-help-leaders-measure-and-manage-culture-specifically-we-help-them/) Tanya Mann > [I know people socially who live in countries where the wealth gap is more extreme than it is in America, and they live with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-johnson/i-know-people-socially-who-live-in-countries-where-the-wealth-gap-is/) [Jamie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-johnson/) Browse all 192 Gap quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Quite often people ask me 'Is there a word for... 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