What does strange, rare, and peculiar mean in Homeopathy (and why should I care)?

In the world of Homeopathy we have something we refer to as "SRP", or "strange, rare, and peculiar". When we refer to a symptom as an "SRP", this is usually a symptom that just doesn't make sense, or something that stands out. For example, if you were to tell me that you had a bite, or maybe a puncture wound of some kind, that was cold to the touch, but also felt better when you applied a cool rag or an ice pack, I would say that Ledum is likely a good match. These are good examples of a strange, rare, or peculiar sign/symptom. We love these "SRP"'s as we like to call them because they are often a good clue when we are trying to select an appropriate remedy and when you know to look for these clues, it makes selecting a remedy SO much easier!