gephyrophobia -- WOTY?

Joel S. Berson Berson at ATT.NET
Mon May 27 22:48:31 UTC 2013


Meaning, I learn, "fear of bridges".  Not in the OED yet, but found elsewhere.

One of Adrian Monk's phobias -- in one episode he refused to take a
job across the Bay because he would have to travel over a
bridge.  While Monk once asked Dr. Kroger if a particular phobia of
his had a name, and was told "I don't think so", to my recollection
it wasn't fear of bridges.

Why word of the year?  With the recent spate of bridge collapses
(Seattle and in Missouri), gephyrophobia may become epidemic.

Joel

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