Simply fixating on the word and trying to force your brain to spit it out may not have the desired effect. But all hope isn't lost! A study published in the online scientific journal PLOS ONE found that clenching your fist can actually help to trigger the memory. When researchers made a fist while memorizing a list of words, and repeated the action when attempting to remember them; they scored better on the recall than those who did not clench.

"The findings suggest that some simple body movements, by temporarily changing the way the brain functions, can improve memory," lead researcher Ruth Popper said in a statement (per Next Avenue). Hand clenching is believed to activate the regions of your brain involved in memory formation and can aid recall. Now, I'm not suggesting that you sit with your fist clenched and read the dictionary for hours in readiness for the next time a word is stuck on the tip of your tongue, but it certainly couldn't hurt.