student asking question

Can I say "pop in one's head" instead of "pop into one's head"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

No, It wouldn't sound natural to say "pop in one's head." That could imply that something literally "popped" in your head, which wouldn't be a good thing! "Into" is used as if the thought is entering your head and isn't already in your head. Ex: Something popped in my bag, and now it's soaked! I think it was my water bottle. Ex: An idea just popped into my head. Let's go to the theme park! Ex: What's the first thing that pops into your head when I say the colour "green?"

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