The modern term stitches together parts of other big-sounding words—“hippopotamus,” “monstrous,” “sesquipedalian”—and finishes with “phobia.” Poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil is credited with coining the ...

The phobia is often listed among more unusual conditions, like the fear of hair, dinner parties, or belly buttons. Yet while some odd phobias spark curiosity or compassion, this one is more frequently ...