Do You Have Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia? Not Fatal, but No Cure

There are few things more complicated and fascinating than the study or words and linguistics. I make long lists of wicked words I come across in my reading so I can share them with you. Here are some examples.

If you're terrified of long words and break out in hives upon reading more than four syllables, you probably suffer from Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia which comes from a Latin word meaning long word.

Scroll down a bit if you have a strong desire to hear the word pronounced in English.

We all grapple with unfamiliar words sometimes, but people with this particular disorder can be incapacitated by sesquipedalians—people who use too many long words.

I hope you can get through this packet of $5 words without harm or injury to yourself. Maybe you can figure out how to incorporate a few into your next piece of writing? And here we go.

Pareidolia (per-ˌī-ˈdō-lē-ə) a noun

The term refers to a psychological skill that allows you to perceive a definite object, picture, or pattern where there really isn't one. Think Rorschach-type ink spots. How about when you see an elephant within a group of clouds or a man's face on the surface of the moon? That's pareidolia.

E.g. I saw Einstein's face on my burnt toast, but it turned out to just be paraidolia.

Verisimilitude

Now this describes a situation that has noun the appearance or semblance of truth or reality, but isn't exactly authentic or true. Writers often use this technique to aid in world-building or character development. Using detail, metaphors, similes, and other devices adds to a story's verisimilitude.

Harry Potter books are pretty good examples. Interestingly, to be effective, either the representation has to fall within the audience's own experience or knowledge or it has to be convincing enough to lure the audience into suspending their disbelief.

E.g. Tolkien is a master of verisimilitude and can make readers buy into something as weird as hobbits living in a hillside or wizards wandering the world.

Clinomania (cline oh mane ya) (n.)

An overwhelming, over-the-top desire to stay in bed. Admit it—you've been there.

E.g. Sally had a lot to do that day, but clinomania squelched her best intentions.

Potvaliant (pot-val-yuhnt) (adj.)

Being brave and courageous simply because you are drunk. And who among us has never witnessed this kind of bravado on any given weekend?

E.g. The ranks of people willing to get a huge tattoo are bloated with potvaliant fools.

Mumpsimus (mump see mus)(n.)

This is a stubborn incorrect use of language, pronunciation, practice, belief, and so forth simply because you are stubbornly unwilling to correct yourself.

E.g. We've all known writers who perpetually commit a mumpsimus with the word "irregardless."

Zugzwang (tsu ktsvaŋ) (n)

A situation wherein any decision or action will be problematic even though you are compelled to take some action. It comes from German and applied often to chess scenarios, but is growing in common conversation.

E.g. Facing a real zugzwang, George knew he had to prevent his zoftig, nagging mother-in-law from plopping down in the rickety old chair.

By the way, here's the promised pronunciation of hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia

And a bonus word, because I feel compelled to educate you: Kakorrhaphiophobia (kak·​or·​rhaph·​io·​pho·​bia) an abnormal, abject fear of failure.

P.S. Some say the longest English word is “Methionylthreonylthreonylglutaminylarginyl…isoleucine.”

No, I can't spell it. I can't pronounce it. It’s the scientific name for the largest protein in the human body, commonly known as titin. The word contains more than 190,000 letters. If it appeared in a dictionary, it would take up more than fifty pages. And that doesn't include the definition.

You're welcome.