Words are indeed powerful. A few syllables can instantly conjure up knowledge and associations...like simply saying the word "high school" will generally bring up one's own experiences of that era of their life. And taking this in a different direction, it's similarly applied to the other senses as well. Here in Galveston the salty gulf can be smelled on the breeze. This stinks to alot of people, but I've had a great many memories whether they're on the beach, out fishing, or whatever, and thus when I get a whiff of that fishy 'stink', I can't help but like it.