Have you ever wondered what your name tastes like?
An author with the condition synaesthaesia, which she says makes her sense words, faced thousands of requests on Twitter from people desperate to know.
Ross, who apparently tastes of a Greggs sausage roll, can count himself luckier than Donald, who produced the effect of a rubber duck dipped in vinegar.
While Jesus tastes like a Malteser, others produce sensations or images rather than tastes – the name Paddy reminds her of a fat, squishy notepad with damp pages.
Julie McDowall, an author and journalist from Glasgow, received more than 15,000 replies to a tweet encouraging people to ask her what senses their names trigger
Julie McDowall, a freelance journalist and writer, tweeted on Sunday: 'I have synesthesia which means I can "taste" words. Ask me what your name tastes like.'
She has since had more than 15,000 replies, among them people curious to know how she senses their name.
As well as tastes, many names conjure up images and feelings for Ms McDowall, from Glasgow, whose condition is a well-documented phenomenon.
Scientists believe synesthaesia is triggered by crossed wires in the brain – extra neural connections – with areas designed to process signals from one sense also being connected to another.
This means senses – vision, hearing, feelings, smells and tastes – get mixed up.
Ms McDowall, who says she can taste or somehow sense words, claims the name Jesus tastes to her like a Malteser chocolate
Paddy Patterson may have been disappointed to find out his name reminded Ms McDowall of a 'fat squishy notepad' with damp pages
Donald tastes like a rubber duck sliced in half and dipped in vinegar, according to Ms McDowall
These are some examples of the tastes produced by certain names, according to Ms McDowall.
Some names produce images, feelings or smells instead of tastes – there are more on her Twitter account @JulieAMcDowall.
