Word aversion: Hate moist? Slacks? Crevice? Why do people hate words? - Slate Magazine - 39 views
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sexual connotations that are among the words that elicit this kind of reaction—moist being an obvious one,” he says. “But there are other words like luggage, and pugilist, and hardscrabble, and goose pimple, and squab, and so on, which I guess you could imagine phonic associations between those words and something sexual, but it certainly doesn’t seem obvious.”
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Casey Doyle on 08 Apr 13I feel like some gross words not only have sexual connotations, but also are gross sounding to the ear. For example, two words that I hate are crotch and groin (funny how similar they are!). They both are just awful to say, and seem to get stuck in your throat as you try to choke it out. But, they also have gross connotations! I wonder if they were named with a gross sound because they represent a gross meaning!
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Taylor Brayce on 15 Apr 13I feel that the word that i dislike the most would have to be "B*tch" i just feel like there is so much hate that is put behind the word when said, even when said with a nice tone. There is always the slight tinge of hate put in there. I really enjoy the word " rendezvous" , it nicely flows off the tongue. When i say it, it makes me happy just by the sound. I have noticed that French and Latin words seem to intrigue me the most.
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Jamie s on 18 Apr 13This is so true. I think that people just have sick minds and they take so many things in dirty ways. I dont understand why. I can say something simple and normal but they change it into something sexual.
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Anna Dunham on 19 Apr 13Many people hate or dislike certain words for certain reasons, for some reason it might be connected by the context of the first time we heard that word. Many people don't like the word moist, but I do because it reminds my of the cookies that I saw in the move Cinderella Story, where the mother described them as moist. Maybe because others have not heard this word in such a great context as fresh baked cookies creates it to be unpleasant for them when they hear a certain word.
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Jasmine Baginski on 06 Jun 13I think that prior knowledge and meanings of certain words definitely affect how we perceive words such as "moist" and other words that can also be determined as sexual. Even words that seem to have no connection to sexual meanings can be made sexual with the context in that they are used. People are just weird like that.
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I really like the word lackadaisical because it flows well, it is interesting and quirky. It is a word that looks like and feels like it means the exact opposite of what it does (Lacking enthusiasm and determination). It's a word tha I can't hold in my mind because it doesn't feel right, and I think that there's something beautiful about that. Of course, that's just me rationalizing (the same reasoning does not hold true for the word pulchritudinous, you see)
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pimple
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This is an intriguing article about word aversion - and really links Sense Perception with Language as a WOK. I'd like you all to read it and offer a comment or excerpt with comment. Perhaps you found a particular quote or idea thought-provoking, or you can offer a good question. What words to you feel an aversion to? How do you know?
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Some words just sound disgusting, and that's why some people hate them. Other words just have meanings that are too strong for common communication. Words that people find nice are ones that flow off the tongue naturally and sound good.
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I'm not bothered by a lot of these words as much as some people. But maybe that's because I love to say words like "moist" and "fluid" just to watch people cringe >:D But I do understand why people might be disgusted by certain words. Some, like flegm (I hate this one) sound slimy and squishy. Others, like "bitch" and "cunt" sound sharp and stinging, and they attack the listener.