Anticipatory Scottish?

[Jonathan Lighter]

"Scottophobia" is fear of Sir Walter Scott. Like it or not, you're thinking
of "Scotophobia."

JL



On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 9:22 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Anticipatory Scottish?
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Near the beginning of a discussion with two friends about the word
> "Scottophobia" (English fear of the savage Scots), I said, "I'm
> afeard that Scottophobia is not the best word."  I and my friends
> burst out laughing uncontrollably.
>
> I would never say "afeard" voluntarily.  Do I have some hard-wired,
> Chomskian Scottish neural pathway that led me to an utterance I would
> disown if I had free will?
>
> Joel
>
> P.S.  The word was used on an email list in the title of a proposed
> panel at a meeting.  Not to be confused with "scotophobia" (aka
> "nyctophobia" or "achluophobia" -- who knew fear of the dark was so
> prevalent that it requires so many terms?).  The better word probably
> is "Caledoniophobia".
>
> JSB
>
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