Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Word of the day

I learned this one from the syndicated "Ask Mr. Know-it-all" column by Gary Clothier today:

Fear of being last:
Telesphobia.

I know a few bloggers that might have that. Do you? I've mostly worked through it myself, via a lot of real-life aversion therapy.

Here's another one I truly see symptoms of on blogs now and then:

Pocrescophobia or Obesophobia
Fear of gaining weight

What's the term for fear and hatred of fat people? I see a lot of that, too, but I don't know the technical term for it, other than plain and simple prejudice.

11 comments:

21st Century Mom said...

Thanks for giving a name to that which I suffer from.

Iron Pol said...

Well, I finished dead last in my first ever triathlon. If I had that fear, I've overcome it.

I just hope I'm not the last person to post on this subject. I should have come earlier and got in before 21st Century Mom.

Unknown said...

I'm steppin' up for you Iron Pol!

Nancy, I'm with you on the prejudice thing, but you inspired me to look it up. According to the Phobias page fear of fat people is cacomorphobia.

http://www.ojohaven.com/fun/phobias.html

Nancy Toby said...

Thanks, Wendy! I did a couple quick searches and came up empty!

Downhillnut said...

Telesphobia is a funny word to me here, because one of the fastest runners in our local club is named Teles.

When I began racing, I really disliked coming in last. Now I frequently come in last in my AG and close to very last at our club races so I've gotten quite used to it.

Usually if I've come in last, the race course or weather has been daunting enough to have kept many of my level at home. Conquering the course in those cases often gives me more gratification than beating many in an easier or more popular race.

Unknown said...

telesphobia - I resemble that remark!

Kewl Nitrox said...

Telesphobia - now I have a name for how I feel. :)

Vickie said...

Telesphobia, that would be me. Who makes up this stuff?

Nancy Toby said...

Psychiatrists. :-)

Brent Buckner said...

Greek psychiatrists.
;-)

:) said...

Telesphobia - fear of teletubbies?