Why is the word for "a fear of long words" so long? (Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia)
by 
tris992000
ANSWERS: 37
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Psychologists have a sense of humor, too.
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LoL "The fear of long words, ironically. It is literally the hippopotamus- and monster-related fear of very long words." Another word for the fear of long words is: sesquipedalophobia
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Psychologists can have a sense of humor.
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According to the Wiki Dictionary, the etymology for Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophob is: Extension of sesqui(p)pedalophobia with monstrum "monster" and a truncated form of hippopotamus, intended to exaggerate the length of the word itself and the idea of the size of the words being feared. The word consists of 36 letters.
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Arachibutyrophobia- Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth. I think my dog has that!
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Paraskavedekatriaphobia- Fear of Friday the 13th (Not the fear itself, just the long word... you try pronouncing it!) Phronemophobia- Fear of thinking (I wonder how many people in the world actually have this...) http://www.geocities.com/nallen20/FunnyPhobias.txt For more
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Gamophobia - Fear of marriage Venustraphobia - Fear of beautiful women Androphobia - Fear of men Anthrophobia - Fear of flowers Bibliophobia - Fear of books Ephebiphobia - Fear of teenagers Obesophobia - Fear of gaining weight (sorry couldn't choose one :P)
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Arachibutyrophobia- Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.
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Cheyneyphobia - the fear of losing one's own soul
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Something i wont have a fear of Crematophobia-fear of money.
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Everyone has a sense of humor.
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Because it's the law!!!!
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I hear that people with that phobia also have an intense fear of irony.
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how do you sound out that word !!!
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now i'm afraid of long words too!
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Is this true? Doesn't hippo mean horse, I'm confused about what this has to do with long words...This can't be a real phobia!! EDIT: Ok, I researched this a little more and hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is not actually used in formal writing for the fear of long words. The actual fear of long words is simply called sesquipedalophobia (a little better). The hippopotomonstrose part is just added for irony and lends nothing extra to the meaning of the smaller word.
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a !
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Same reason phonetic is not spelled phonetically and lisp has an s in it. Just to be mean :)
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Because etymologists are utter, utter bastards.
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yes, ironic, isn't it? sort of like the word "monosyllabic".....a word with 5 syllables which means having only 1 syllable?
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sesquipedalophobia is fear of long words. Strangely it's Latin for "fear of things with one and a half feet" (presumably in the sense of rythmic meter) The Hippopotomonstrose-" prefix seems to have been added as a joke, (after all, where does the "water dwelling horse monster" fit in?) and the joke's just got out of hand.
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why has lisp got an s and dislexia so hard to spell. the world is full of these nasty deseases:) Ben
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Who knows? Considering the fact that Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the 2nd longest word in the English language, don't you think it's a bit messed up? Say someone with this phobia had to get treatment, and they were asked what their phobia was? They would be too afraid to say it, write it out, or anything. Perhaps whoever came up with the name was just trying to get an easy laugh by scaring the poor pathetic beings with this phobia.
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Cause Romans(latin) people are hilarious.
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its only appropriate that the phobia be a long word otherwise it'd just be funny. Nobody with that phobia will show up to a function in they're neame with that name printed in the banners.
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http://www.changethatsrightnow.com/problem_detail.asp?SDID=204:1595 We, as a society, are truly reaching toward absurdity
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So what would you call the "fear of long-ass -phobias?"
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Same reason there is an 's' in the word 'lisp'....
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People are cruel.
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Perhaps it's a premeditated form of inherent behavior modification so that those that have the fear gradually overcome it by repeatedly having to name it. ;)
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I suppose it's because it's so specific. I'm betting the fear of words is shorter.
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I like the word. Hippopotomontrous sounds pretty cool to me. Though being afraid of the name of your phobia is sort of strange.
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Just like 'lisp'. People are cruel.
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People ARE stupid!!! The fear of palindromes is Aibohphobia!!! Cruel ass people!! I bet the person that put an "s" in "lisp" is prolly the same person that invented both of those words!!
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in answer to your question you will find it was, mr mark amafukinidiotami,well known in the field of longawordthanneoneino,he got degrees for it as well:)
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Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliaphobia isn't a valid, accepted phobia. It's a made up word meant to be funny.
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It is somewhat of a cure, if they are afraid of long words then they won't be as prone to tell anyone what they've been diagnosed with.
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