Word Aversion Support Group
Word aversion is a real phenomenon: certain words trigger a disproportionate feeling of disgust, completely unrelated to what they mean. If any of the words below make your skin crawl, congratulations — you are not alone.
- moist
- Slightly wet. Consistently ranked the most-hated word in the English language.
- flap
- A flat piece attached on one side that hangs and moves freely. Also the unfortunate second half of this website's name.
- phlegm
- Thick mucus secreted in the respiratory passages, especially during a cold.
- pus
- A thick yellowish or greenish liquid produced in infected tissue.
- ooze
- To flow or seep out slowly, as through small openings.
- fester
- Of a wound: to become septic, swollen, and increasingly unpleasant.
- smear
- To spread something soft, sticky, or greasy across a surface.
- curd
- A soft, lumpy substance formed when milk coagulates.
- gusset
- A triangular piece of fabric sewn into a garment to strengthen or enlarge it.
- crevice
- A narrow opening or crack, especially in rock or skin.
- squelch
- To make a soft sucking sound, as of someone walking through mud.
- globule
- A small round particle, especially of fat suspended in liquid.
- panties
- Underwear for women or children. Consistently named one of the most-hated words in English, regardless of what it refers to.
- slacks
- Casual trousers, often pleated. Frequently disliked for reasons its detractors cannot quite articulate.
- navel
- The small indentation in the abdomen marking where the umbilical cord was once attached.
- yolk
- The yellow, spherical part of an egg, rich in fat and cholesterol.
- gristle
- Tough, rubbery cartilage found in cuts of meat, usually discovered mid-chew.
- secretion
- A substance produced and released by a cell, gland, or organ.
- crusty
- Having a hard, dry outer layer, often formed from something that was once wet.
- bulbous
- Round and swollen in shape, typically in an unflattering way.
- spurt
- A sudden, forceful burst of liquid from a small opening.
- maggot
- The legless larva of a fly, commonly found in decaying material.
- nugget
- A small, irregular lump, frequently breaded and fried.
There is no cure. Only community.