Etcetera

Moist!

Steve Urkel.

Posted to Etcetera on Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 08:57:50 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.

Word's that make you go nnrrrk.

From the Language Log mailbag:

I'm writing to ask you about a certain word association quirk that seems to affect my wife and a few other women that I know. The issue centers around the word "moist." Both my wife and a close friend (also female) cannot stand the word, either written or spoken. (As you can imagine, this makes watching cooking shows rather difficult.) They are totally fine with "moisturizer," but cringe and shudder at "moist," or even "moisten." Another female friend has a similar aversion to "suckle."

So two questions: 1. Is this a phenomenon with which you are familiar? Have there been any studies about this type of "word aversion?" and 2. Is this a issue that is more likely to affect women (since I know of no men who have similar aversions)?

It turns out a lot of people cringe at "moist", and there's even a Facebook group about it.

Are there certain words you hate, or find repulsive?  Not, as the Language Log notes, "ethnic slurs, or words that are sexually or religiously taboo or offensive," but ordinary words like "moist", that irritate or repulse, often for reasons inexplicable?

< The tears are in my mind (Oh, Mandy!)

Microstamping passes in California >

Tags: edited by Port1080, written by Steve Urkel, word aversion (all tags)
Add this story to: newsvine reddit digg delicious

This story: 21 comments (3 from subqueue)
Post a Comment
1

Re: Moist!

ms sue.

Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 10:08:34 AM EST

none

A female colleague and good friend of mine had a "moist" aversion, and "nostril" makes my husband cringe. Go figure.

2

I have no idea why this is

Steve Urkel.

Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 01:12:19 PM EST

none

I'm not disgusted by them, the way the moist people are, but words that sort of set my teeth on edge when people say them (but for some reason not when I read them) include dew, rump, and revamp. I also am aggrivated by mature pronounced with a hard t.

6

^ 2

Re: I have no idea why this is

zyxwvutsr.

Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 07:27:49 PM EST

none

How about "often" pronounced with a hard "t"?

9

^ 6

Re: I have no idea why this is

Steve Urkel.

Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 01:33:55 PM EST

none

I don't know why people do that, but it doesn't irk me the way ma-toor does. It's an odd thing.

10

^ 6

Re: I have no idea why this is

keta.

Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 02:22:24 PM EST

none

At least there's a "t" in often, and pronouncing the "t" is one of the accepted pronunciations according to the C.O.D..

Here's one I've often wondered about:  Washington, pronounced, "Warshington."  It doesnt bother me a whit, but where the hell did the "r" come from?

12

^ 10

Re: I have no idea why this is

Steve Urkel.

Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 04:46:04 PM EST

none

I've always associated 'Warshington' with certain rural accents. Like Idaho? Though there are people in the Northeast who say it too, possibly for different linguistic reasons.

As for where it comes from, I'm not a linguist, but you might want to look up "intrusive r'.  

Goofy, notably, says "gawrsh" and "warsh". In comments to the article below it's claimed the guy who invented the voice for Goofy based it on how people spoke in his hometown of Gresham, OR.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/225994_vballard27.html

13

^ 2

Re: I have no idea why this is

stevetherobot.

Tue Oct 23, 2007 at 01:41:22 PM EST

none

I guess I won't send you an invitation to join the Victor Mature fan club then.

14

^ 13

No, I'm not going to look it up

Steve Urkel.

Tue Oct 23, 2007 at 10:54:03 PM EST

none

Did he pronounce it with a hard "t"? Really? What's weird is I know I've seen movies with him, but I can't remember what they were or what he looked like.

15

^ 14

Demetrius & The Gladiators was one.

MayorBob.

Wed Oct 24, 2007 at 06:07:01 AM EST

5.00 (funny)

You like gladiator movies, don't you Steve?

Illegitimi non carborundum.

16

^ 15

Who doesn't?

Steve Urkel.

Wed Oct 24, 2007 at 01:33:54 PM EST

none

So I caved and looked up his filmography (am I the only one sick of looking up everything just because you can?) and realized the movies I've seen him in, he was that big guy with the blockhead in One Million BC, The Robe, Kiss of Death, and the Monkee's Head.

18

^ 14

Re: No, I'm not going to look it up

keta.

Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 05:46:33 PM EST

none

Whenever I hear his name, I think of the movie, Samson and Delilah, and this anecdote:

At the premiere, Cecil B. DeMille asked Groucho Marx what he thought of the film. Groucho replied, "Well, there's just one problem, C.B. No picture can hold my interest where the leading man's tits are bigger than the leading lady's." DeMille was not amused, but Mature supposedly was.

19

^ 18

Re: No, I'm not going to look it up

Steve Urkel.

Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 06:40:12 PM EST

none

Groucho was funny.  Did he ever work with Victor Mature?

3

Re: Moist!

tomc.

Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 03:16:00 PM EST

none

One misty moisty morning when cloudy was the weather
I met with an old man a-clothed all in leather
He was clothed all in leather with a cap beneath his chin
Singing how do you do and how do you do and how do you do again

This rustic was a thresher as on his way he hied
And with a leather bottle fast buckled by his side
He wore no shirt upon his back but wool unto his skin
Singing how do you do and how do you do and how do you do again

4

It's All About Sex

keta.

Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 03:42:08 PM EST

none

According to the first link, there's also a lot of folks (mostly women, it would seem) who  don't like the word, "panties."

"Moist," and "panties."  Two of the finest words in the English language (especially together) and some women find these words disgusting.  Who'da thunk it?

7

^ 4

Re: It's All About Sex

zyxwvutsr.

Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 07:29:54 PM EST

none

...some women find these words disgusting
It's probably connected somehow to the not so fresh feeling.

11

^ 7

Re: It's All About Sex

keta.

Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 02:24:14 PM EST

none

That makes perfect sense...and reminds me, once again, that perspective is everything.

5

Re: Moist!

snwodttam.

Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 07:15:47 PM EST

none

Had an ex-girlfriend who also had a moist aversion.  She also had a problem with the word "toenail."  Moist toenails.  I can understand not liking those words together, but by themselves not so much.

Off the top of my head I can't think of a word in English that drives me nuts or anything.  But recently I've come to hate with the power of a billion suns the Japanese word "kawaii" (cute).  I hear it way too much here in Japan.  And the way that folks say it...KA-WA-IIIIIIIIIIII...provokes violent tendencies in me that are getting harder and harder to control.

17

^ 5

Re: Moist!

oinker.

Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 02:59:15 PM EST

none

^_^

8

What about this poor guy?

Lou.

Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 07:30:09 PM EST

none

Moist Von Lipwig

I can't argue with your logic...but I can recommend a good therapist

20

Re: Moist!

dgraham.

Fri Oct 26, 2007 at 01:20:17 PM EST

none

Now some people are claiming that the word is offensive to women!

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/005057.html

21

^ 20

Re: Moist!

Steve Urkel.

Fri Oct 26, 2007 at 04:19:32 PM EST

none

Thanks for that update.

This story: 21 comments (3 from subqueue)
Post a Comment

search »
Poll »
I have an aversion to moist
Votes: 16.
Results, Other Polls
Login »
Make a new account
Related Links »
Language Log
lot of people cringe
More on Etcetera
Also by Steve Urkel
QuickLinks »
Photoshop!
It's not just for Iranian Missile Defense Force anymore.
- Lou
<—————+———Ο—>
Telephone Call for Mr. Horrible
Dr. Horrible, a supervillian musical by Joss Whedon with Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion. Free for the viewing until July 20th.
- DEMachina
<—————+————Ο>
Board Meeting Tonight
Missed Quorum the second time as well. We try again tonight, July 16, at 7PM PST in the chat room. The agenda is pretty straightforward. (RD)
- Board of Directors
<—————+—Ο———>
Where have we seen this before?
Lines form outside of IndyMac. Customers are trying to pull their money out.
- Lou
<—————+——Ο——>
Knowing me, knowing you... (ah-haa)
We just have to face it this time we're [still] through.
- pO157
<—————+——Ο——>
I have had it with these motherfucking ticks on this motherfucking plane!
United Airlines flight delayed for six hours after ticks were found in economy class.
- pO157
<—————+————Ο>
A great American passes
Hero of Progressive Causes and Racial Equality, Jesse Helms died on the 4th of July like the great patriot he was. Or did he?
- Lou
<—————+—Ο———>
Capitalism at its best
Employer changes life insurance companies, then fails to tell employee of new, easily-satisfied requirements. Employee dies. Widow told to fuck off. Law says you can't sue insurance companies for anything beyond the premiums you paid.
- DEMachina
<—————+——Ο——>
Submit a QuickLink:
If you'd like to submit your own QuickLink, you'll need to log in (or register) first.

Users own their contributions, all else is © 2006, 2007 Trees and Things, Incorporated.

Powered by Scoop.

Terms of Service

Privacy