Science Has Explained Why People Hate The Word MOIST

Moist...moist...moist...


Article heading image for Science Has Explained Why People Hate The Word MOIST

Moist.

That word has become so commonly despised that there are Facebook support groups, websites and even an episode of How I Met Your Mother focused on it.

Now ACTUAL scientists have got involved, conducting a study into the word to find out why such a harmless word can be so detested…

Paul Thibodeau and his colleagues at Oberlin College and Trinity University found that as much as 20% of the population may be averse to "moist".

However, the sound of the word isn't the spark of the hatred because similar-sounding words (such as "foist") did not generate the same negative reaction.

It turns out that it’s the meaning of the word that gets some people cringing - due to the obvious connections to body functions and sexual acts.

A person's age also has a lot to do with how they perceive the word, with younger people more likely to hate it.

So if you're in the 20% who can't stand the word moist here are a few options for you: damp, soggy, muggy, clammy, dank.

After reading those, we might just stick with moist!

If you would like to read more about the study the full 6-pages are available here.

12 December 2016

Article by:

Pub Talk




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