Funky Phobias

by Corinne Pyle

You name it, and somebody is afraid of it. Come face to face with some of the world's most unusual fears like arachibutyrophobia- the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0439598478
• ISBN13: 9780439598477
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Lemon Drop Press
• Length: 62 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Is there a word for the fear of the number 30?

Corinne Pyle is a clever woman. So is Daniel Jankowski--well, a clever man then. Together they found 30 scary phobias, wrote examples and illustrated them. Dr. Donald Dossey of the Phobia Institute in Southern California advised them. A phobia is "an extreme fear of an object, activity, or situation." Phobias don't have to make sense--that's why they are so individual and just downright "funky." Alektorophobia is the fear of chickens. People with alektotophobia run, or walk, away from the unexpected arrival of a chicken! No pausing, just running! Puck, puck! Ataxophobia is the fear of disorder and untidiness. Those with this phobia need to ascertain if their beloved intended is a slob, for ataxophobia will surely destroy such an unevenly yoked couple. Bogeyphobia--do you think this word is made up? It means what it says: fear of the bogeyman. There are three automatic behaviors of bogeyphobes: 1. Keep the closet door closed. You-know-who is in there! 2. Straighten up your room and stuff everything under the bed. If the space under that bed is all filled up, then you-know-who can't crawl under there. 3. Leave on a night light. Meaning is obvious. Remember the Stephen King book and movie with the clown as IT? I learned just how many people had Coulrophobia, or fear of clowns. Or if you really ponder mirrors, they could become a new source of fear. Just what is behind them or in them? Maybe you have Eisoptrophobia! Do you fear words that are a foot and a half long? Then you have Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia! I don't know the word for it, but I discovered a new fear today: Fear of Blue Angels (Navy Jets) practicing in the skies of my neighborhood only to come crashing down on me. Every time they made a new circle, I watched so I could run if one started to crash. Then, I had an aha! experience. A jet flying that fast would eradicate me from the world before I even had a second to consider getting out of the way. "Funky Phobias" is a fun little book, but not really that useful. Just 30 phobias. How about 100?