Word Aversion

In a post last year I referenced a few words that I might like to ban, not because they have become cliched, but simply that the words themselves evoked bad feelings. I have a good term for that now, having read an article on the subject yesterday: word aversion ("Why do we hate certain words" from Slate Magazine).

In my last post I referenced Stephen King's aversion to adverbs. His aversion results from the fact that he finds them grammatically and/or stylistically unacceptable in writing, not because he has any cringe factor with the words themselves.

One of the words that many seem to hate as a word came to my attention already last year: moist. It turns out that many find the word slightly nauseating.

A list of words, referenced in the aforementioned article, compiled from social media responses, which create an adverse reaction include the following: squab, cornucopia, panties, navel, brainchild, crud, slacks, crevice and fudge.

Are any of these on your list?

The husband doesn't like problematic and slather. The son-in-law claims spatula. I doubt that they have (what I am calling) a true aversion to those words.

I have solicited some other candidates. Someone I know hates limpid and another has a problem with quaffing.

My RN daughter, like me (a farm girl), claims she is used to all gross words, which are common in hospital jargon.

True word aversion may be similar to a phobia--which often cannot be explained and seems irrational. A phobia is different than just really not liking to get shots at the doctor's office, perhaps because you had some brutal nurse that frightened you in early childhood.

For example, the husband knows he has no reason to be afraid atop the John Hancock Observatory in Chicago, but his knees get weak, his stomach churns, and he wants to go down--in fact he may never go up again, after his experience a few years ago sitting in the bar (even as far as he could from the windows). He has the irrational fear of being afraid he might jump (the Grand Canyon being the all-time worst and the St. Louis Arch coming in a close second), especially if he can see the spot below where he would go splat. (Splat is pretty evocative!)

So it might be a bit like that with word aversions--they are irrational and inexplicable reactions to words that are probably impossible to shake without years of therapy. Or, it may be the result of some association we have developed along the way or since infancy, from a negative experience which we have now blocked or forgotten. And some things, usually more visual things, just have that ick factor. The sight of blood or vomit or especially the sight of someone bleeding profusely or vomiting causes nausea in many. I just realized that vomit is not a nice word either--I think I might put it on my top ten most disgusting list.

Many proper medical terms seem to be universally disgusting: mucus, pus, phlegm and sputum, for starters. For me, snot is problematic. If anyone called my child a little snot I would hurl--that is, I would hurl something at him! But I'm not repulsed so much by the word itself.

Sexual terms like the f and c-words are certainly objectionable, especially when used for name-calling.

But slacks and fudge? Why are they on the list? It must be that we have a personal aversion to some words that comes from some place deep inside--a visceral reaction that at worst, sickens us a little.

I think that I am okay with all these words, unless they are used against me. Sticks and stones... and words, too, can hurt. But blood and guts, I can handle. I don't think any word has ever prompted me to "hurl." (I suppose if blood and guts were hurled at me it might be a different story!)

And I don't even mind the hated moist, or post nasal drip. But these words need not ever be used in polite company! (I'm not even sure what polite company is). But I know I would not use any of the words highlighted above if I were privileged enough to be in the company of the Queen of England or the Pope.)