I'm just trying to recollect broken memories of my childhood

Question

Is the following sentence correct?I'm just trying to recollect broken memories of my childhood.By broken memories I mean the memories which you can recollect exactly because you were too young at that age. But some fragments of those memories are still there in your brain.

Mr Wordy · Accepted Answer

"trying to recollect memories" seems a little dubious to me. Without getting into hair-splitting differences, a memory more or less is a recollection, so it's like saying that you're trying to recollect recollections.

"broken memories" also does not seem quite right for the meaning you want. To me, this expression suggests that some traumatic event(s) took place in your childhood that damaged you emotionally. Others may understand it differently, of course.

("which you can recollect exactly" should be "which you cannot recollect exactly", right?)

Edit: Oh, I forgot to mention what I might say: "I'm just trying to piece together fragmented memories of my childhood".

Jackson6612 · Answer

Mr Wordy"trying to recollect memories" seems a little dubious to me. Without getting into hair-splitting differences, a memory more or less is a recollection, so it's like saying that you're trying to recollect recollections.

"broken memories" also does not seem quite right for the meaning you want. To me, this expression suggests that some traumatic event(s) took place in your childhood that damaged you emotionally. Others may understand it differently, of course.

("which you can recollect exactly" should be "which you cannot recollect exactly", right?)

Edit: Oh, I forgot to mention what I might say: "I'm just trying to piece together fragmented memories of my childhood".

Hi Mr Wordy,

You are right but I have read this expression often times. Check the following link:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&rlz=1B3GGGL_enPK249PK249&as_qdr=all&q=%22recollect+memories%22&start=0&sa=N

Isn't broken and fragmented mean the same, at least to some degree?

I couldn't understand the underlined part. Please explain.

Thank you for your help.

Mr Wordy · Answer

You're right, there are a fair number of Google hits for "recollecting memories". I guess you could argue that a memory can be dormant, and that the action of recollecting it brings it to the forefront of your mind. Alternatively, you could argue that practically any combination of words that you type into Google produces a fair number of hits. Also, for some reason, "trying to recollect memories" sounds odder to me than just recollecting them. But pehaps it's just me -- it might be fine to other people.

"Broken" and "fragmented" can sometimes mean more or less the same thing, but "broken" is a stronger word, and here brings to my mind an image that your memories were broken by a dramatic event, rather than just slowly losing focus over time. Something can be "fragmented" without necessarily ever having been "broken". As I said, I think different people's impressions of this expression might differ, so perhaps someone else can chip in and give their views.

Regarding the underlined passage: in your original post, you wrote "By broken memories I mean the memories which you can recollect exactly because you were too young at that age." I assume you mean cannot rather than can, and I was asking if that's the case.

Anonymous · Answer

Does this sentence construction sound alright?

Visitors can check out the modern and contemporary jazz, along side toe-tapping to the rhythms of old favourites.

Thanks,

Vijay

Jackson6612 · Answer

Mr WordyYou're right, there are a fair number of Google hits for "recollecting memories". I guess you could argue that a memory can be dormant, and that the action of recollecting it brings it to the forefront of your mind. Alternatively, you could argue that practically any combination of words that you type into Google produces a fair number of hits. Also, for some reason, "trying to recollect memories" sounds odder to me than just recollecting them. But pehaps it's just me -- it might be fine to other people.

"Broken" and "fragmented" can sometimes mean more or less the same thing, but "broken" is a stronger word, and here brings to my mind an image that your memories were broken by a dramatic event, rather than just slowly losing focus over time. Something can be "fragmented" without necessarily ever having been "broken". As I said, I think different people's impressions of this expression might differ, so perhaps someone else can chip in and give their views.

Regarding the underlined passage: in your original post, you wrote "By broken memories I mean the memories which you can recollect exactly because you were too young at that age." I assume you mean cannot rather than can, and I was asking if that's the case.

Mr Wordy, thanks a lot for the explanatory answer.

Sorry for the confusion about where I left out not from the can.

Best wishes,
Jackson

I'm just trying to recollect broken memories of my childhood

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