That's so spooky!

Wise Words: spooky

Last week, I was making some small talk at my daughter’s school with an English teacher whom I had never met before. This is an excerpt from our conversation:

Him: So, you’re obviously not a local. Where are you from?
Me: Well, I grew up in Southall, but I haven’t lived in the UK for over 20 years.
Him: Southall? What school did you go to? I’m just asking because my wife’s first teaching post was in Southall. If only I knew… what was the name again…?
Him and me: Dormer’s Wells?
Him and me:  Yes! That’s the one!
Him and me: That’s so … spooky!

We both laughed when we said “spooky” together. We could have used the more formal “that’s such a coincidence”, but we both went for “that’s so spooky” instead. Spooky!

“That’s so spooky” (or just “spooky”) and "that's such a coincidence" (or "what a coincidence") are both used to indicate that whatever happened or was said is connected in some unexplainable way to something you’ve done, have said before — or was planning to do/say.

So why use "spooky", when "coincidence" has a similar meaning? Well, "spooky" is a much shorter and snappier word than "coincidence". It also suggests more than just a chance connection. According to the Macmillan Dictionary online, "spooky" means

“frightening in a way that makes you nervous because it involves things that do not seem natural and cannot be explained by science”.

When we used “spooky” in our dialogue, however, we weren't really saying that we were frightened or nervous; we used it to suggest that something was a little scary in a funny way because the connection was unexpected — and highly unlikely. 

Here are some situations in which I’ve used “spooky” with this meaning:

• A friend called me at the exact moment when I was thinking about her — and there was no real reason for her to call. I said: “That’s so spooky, I was just thinking of you!”
  
  
• I received an email from a colleague telling me about a great website she’d found — literally just as I’d sent her an email recommending the exact same site. I wrote: “Spooky — check your inbox again!”
  
  
• I went on Facebook after watching four episodes of Six Feet Under (I was ill and off work at the time!) — only to see that a friend had posted a message that she was about to watch Six Feet Under. I posted a comment: “That’s so spooky — I’ve just finished watching it!”

"Spooky" isn't a word you would normally use in a formal business negotiation, but it's a great word for small talk, emails or even text messages. Listen out for how native speakers use "spooky".

Now that you know the word, I bet someone you know will use it. Now, wouldn't that be spooky?