Tartle
Etymology
From Scots, where “to tartle” means to hesitate or be uncertain in recognizing a person or thing. The apologetic phrase “I tartled” is a way of gracefully owning the lapse. It gives a single friendly name to a socially awkward and universal experience.
noun · /TAR-tul/
The panicky hesitation when you have to introduce someone whose name you’ve just forgotten.
What it names
That excruciating half-second stall mid-introduction when the name vanishes and everyone can tell.
Example
Sorry for the tartle — this is, of course, my colleague… Priya, yes, Priya.
Related idea
A generic brain freeze covers any sudden mental blank; tartle is precise about the social scene — the stumble comes specifically while introducing a person whose name escapes you.