When you can’t pull out the right phrase, because your old brain just won’t, what’s a backup phrase you use?

This happens all of the time. I usually just say, "I can't remember what it was...let's move on."

Yada yada.

Very old people know what a spy glass is OP.

Like Jessica Fletcher?

"Fuck me harder."

Passed down from father to son.

This sounds similar to not pulling out the right comeback phrase until after the confrontation is over.

I say, "the word escapes me right now, but it means XXX..."

more like spy gas

The man came to fix the thing

I love that you called it a spy glass.

Oh I can’t remember it because I was afraid I wouldn’t remember it, so now I’m not going to remember it. So I’ll let you know later when I remember it.

My BF does this all the time. Last one I remember was him talking about swimming in the ocean when he got stung by a jellybean.

like when you can't remember bed so you just say the shelf you put your body on when you're not using it

“You know… that thingy “

R12 gave me a big early morning belly laugh!

Neuriva helped for a while but my brain forgetting the right word seems to be galloping ahead of it.

The condition is called Aphasia, OP. If it happens more than once or twice a month you need to discuss it with your doctor. Some people dismiss it as "just getting old" but it's sometimes the first sign of Alzheimers, LBD, and other types of dementia.

I was just sitting on the davenport sipping lemonade right from the icebox and wondering what was the other word for spyglass!

“……….BBBBBALLS!!!”

A spyglass isn't a magnifying glass, though. It's like a wee telescope that sailors (for example) use.

^^^^ its called a telescope