Xanthophobia, Xenoepist, Xyzlacatosis #AtoZChallenge
Merriam-Webster publishes a list of user submitted new words & slang in their open dictionary. They remain there until they make it into the dictionary. Three words beginning with X caught my eye.
First I list the submitted word with definition. Then I use it in a sentence.
- xanthophobia (adjective) : the fear of the color yellow.
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- One of the primary colors on Ecuador’s flag and national fútbol team is yellow. If you suffer from xanthophobia, Ecuador may not be the best place for you.
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| Yellow shirts are common in Ecuador |
- xenoepist (noun) : someone who speaks with a foreign accent
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- With my native US accent, I am a xenoepist in Ecuador, whether speaking Spanish or English.
- xyzlacatosis (other) : struck with knowledge that there are few words in the English language beginning with x, y, and z
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- I suffered from xyzlacatosis while looking for a topic for this post.
Can you identify with any of these?
If you are visiting from the #AtoZChallenge please include your blog link in a comment so I can check it out.
Emily Bloomquist
I am a US Expat in Ecuador. I grew up on a Minnesota farm, worked in IT in California's Silicon Valley, then moved to a coastal Ecuador fishing village. My goal is to share Ecuador with you, one snippet at a time. Topics include attractions, compassion, ecotourism, Ecuador products, everyday Ecuador, and flora and fauna. Please let me know what you would like to read more about!
42 Comments
Jean Davis
I'm amused that we have to have a word to cover the fear of the color yellow. It's almost like we crave coming up with words for things so much that we invent things to need naming, isn't it?
Discarded Darlings – Jean Davis, Speculative Fiction Writer, A to Z: Editing Fiction
Emily Bloomquist
I am too, Jean. It does seem that it is an unnecessary word. How frequently is someone really trying to express their fear of yellow?
DA Cairns
Ladies please…there is no such thing as an unnecessary word is there?
Emily Bloomquist
Ha ha! Good point, DA!
Laurel Garver
Like Jean, I was struck by the yellow phobia. What on earth could give one a specific color fear like that? Red I could understand, with its association with blood. Maybe people with bee-sting allergies have it, as a defense? Just so weird!
I recently was struck by a newcomer to the tiny XYZ words family–there's a new allergy medication on the market called xyzal. It was like drug companies ran out of any pronounceable words and thought, hey, let's use XYZ! No trademark worries there. LOL.
Emily Bloomquist
The yellow phobia struck me, too. Is it too bright? Someone who was fed too many egg yolks as a child? You may be exactly right – xyzal no trademark worries! And unlikely to mean something strange in another language.
Nick Wilford
I think many will be suffering from that last one over this weekend!
Emily Bloomquist
I am sure that is true, Nick!
Anonymous
I went the same way with my X post. There certainly are some interesting X words. Great post, thanks for sharing.
Stopping by from A to Z: X words
Shari
Emily Bloomquist
Thanks Shari. Going to go check out your X words now 🙂
Kristin
I can identify with #3, although this year I had a ready made and easy X.
Finding Eliza
Emily Bloomquist
I think we all can identify with #3 🙂
Took a look at your X post and that is perfect for your theme, Kristin.
moon
Hahaha. Thanks so much Emily for the new words .I guess i was a Xenoepist (with a distinct indian accent )during my sojourn in USA .As i read the "about me" section in your blog, i am carried back to those days in Minneapolis, Minnesota and later in Wayne, NJ. I really loved Minnesota .
Also, xyzlacatosis is definitely a cause of concern for the two days at A-Z challenge , as i struggle with y and z. 🙂 🙂
Thoroughly enjoyed your x post . Thanks again
Best wishes,
Moon
https://aslifehappens60.wordpress.com
Emily Bloomquist
Glad you enjoyed it Moon! I love going back to Minnesota to visit family. It is so nice there.
Donna B. McNicol
Love it – great choices for 'X'.
DB McNicol | Oh, the places we will go! | Xtraordinary, Xtreme, Xciting, Xhausting | 9-11 10th Anniversary Memorial Ride
Emily Bloomquist
Thanks Donna! I spent entirely too much time trying to come up with an X topic but once I found these, it practically wrote itself.
Bob Scotney
I can see why these words are waiting to get into the main dictionary. I would have thought that xanthophobia has the most chance.
Emily Bloomquist
I don't think xyzlacatosis will make it. The other two are pretty iffy, too.
FinnBadger
I can't believe you came up with three X words, and one of them is a cousin to my word for today.
Phillip | X is for Xanthophytes | And they’re on XL mail
Emily Bloomquist
Yeah, anyone suffering from xanthophobia would be afraid of those xanthophytes for sure!
Shirley Corder
Looks like we're all fighting xyzlacatosis in the same way: searching for words that we can use! I sat with literally hundreds of Zs today trying to fit them into the theme of blogging! I didn't know there were so many. X is for the X factor as you Build a Better Blog. #AtoZchallenge.
Emily Bloomquist
That is obviously how I found the words for today's post. I will be using this suggested word page again when I get stuck looking for words. Hope you found a Z. I can't think think of anything except Zeroing in on [ ]. As always, I look forward to reading it Shirley.
Joy
why are yellow shirts popular?
Joy @ The Joyous Living
#AtoZChallenge
Emily Bloomquist
Many people wear the yellow fútbol shirts of the national team. I have one from the 2014 world cup. It looks just like the one the kid on the front of the motorcycle is wearing with the blue trim.
Arti Jain
I suffer from/surrender to the opposite of Xanthophobia. I LOVE yellow.
Scribbling the 3 Xs in my diary—one never knows when one might come in handy. Cheers Emily:)
X is for X shaped stitches on a Xmas stocking
Emily Bloomquist
So maybe you have contraxanthophobia, Arti 🙂
Susan
Clever post. I did have to fudge my post for the letter X 🙂 Interesting A-Z theme; I'll have to read through some of your previous writing.
Emily Bloomquist
Thanks for stopping by Susan. You certainly were not alone in fudging for X. Just read your post – great message.
Judy Rinehimer
Great approach for "X". Now you can have "xanthophobia (adjective) : the fear of the color yellow." for your "Y" word tomorrow!!!
Emily Bloomquist
Wow Judy that would have been a great idea! Alas, Y is ready and has nothing to do with yellow…
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Hi Emily – clever approach for these … I didn't know any of these … so I must remember to learn and repeat – so I don't forget … cheers Hilary
http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/x-is-for-x-war-facts.html
Emily Bloomquist
Thanks Hilary – Remember these are suggested words, not yet in the dictionary so you will be using future-speak 🙂
Donna H
I wonder if there is a word for the fear of the letter X.
Girl Who Reads
Emily Bloomquist
Excellent question – if there is, I'm sure there is no X in the word. I did see this one though:
phobiaphobia (noun) : the fear of fear
Camille Flores
HA! Good post! I cheated. I used toXic because I just couldn't find a disaster that began with X. Know of any?
Emily Bloomquist
Thanks Camille! I was stuck for a long time until I found the Merriam-Webster site. No, I don't know of any. Wonder if there is a city name that had one. Somehow it could be a post about not wanting to have that happen in La Yacata. For another year 🙂
DA Cairns
Xanthophobia is cool. People have all sorts of irrational phobias so why not of the colour yellow? I would use the word, but I'm weird like that. People often wonder why I can't just use 'normal' words, but I reckon if you can say something 47 different ways, then why not?
Emily Bloomquist
Glad to provide a word to add to your vocabulary, DA 🙂 When you use new words, you add to others vocab, too. Win-win.
Andrea Lundgren
Can definitely identify with xyzlacatosis. It makes the last few words in an A-Z challenge a series of cheats and stretches…but I figure, after a months of posts, we deserve it. 🙂
Emily Bloomquist
Andrea, you are not alone, that is for sure!
Alice Gerard
Xanthophobia is a hilarious word. I'm not sure why people would be phobic of yellow. Maybe they have nightmare in which they are being attacked by enormous yellow insects, with super sized stingers? Then the fear of the enormous yellow insects gets transferred to everything that is yellow, which could be a problem in springtime, when yellow flowers bloom in abundance. Or maybe they are terrified of their lawns being taken over by massive quantities of yellow dandelions???
Emily Bloomquist
Love where you went with this, Alice. Oh these poor people are afraid of the sun, too! They try to only go outside on cloudy days or after sunset.