Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2015 June 26

= June 26 =

Metrophobia
Question moved from "Metrophobia" on the Science desk. -- Ariel. (talk) 23:07, 26 June 2015 (UTC)

Metrophobia means the fear of poetry. I was searching for this word origin, but couldn't find it. The term itself seem to mean fear of city, hence metro- as in metropolis. I like to see how the term came to mean fear of poetry 'cause I'm curious. I know it is not Greek nor Latin unlike how most phobias were termed, otherwise the fear of poetry term would've begin with 'p'. I see there is no metr- in the list of foreign languages on poetry in Wiktionary. Usually the etymology of phobia is shown in common-phobias.com, but not in metrophobia page. Does anybody know how the term was originated so I can add that info to Phobia Wikia? Planet Star  22:38, 26 June 2015 (UTC)
 * "Metro-" does not mean city, "polis" does. "Meter" in Greek "metropolis" means mother, but in this context "metro-" appears to be derived from Metre (poetry) - Lindert (talk) 22:55, 26 June 2015 (UTC)
 * It sounds like some kind of elitist buzzword. The way "Metro" is used nowadays, rightly or wrongly, it sounds more like it should be a fear of public transportation. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 23:22, 26 June 2015 (UTC)


 * Two different roots: μητρ– mētr– ‘mother’ vs μετρ– mĕtr– ‘measure’. (Sometimes my blog archive comes in handy.) —Tamfang (talk) 23:35, 26 June 2015 (UTC)


 * Yes, metron, measure, as in metronome, metre, metrifier (a versifier). DuncanHill (talk) 00:12, 27 June 2015 (UTC)


 * Etymologically, it seems it should be more the fear of measuring things (or perhaps of being measured?). But you know, it's my understanding that most of these whatchamacallitphobia words are invented for the sake of inventing a word, not to name an actual mental-health condition that's really worth describing separately from other specific phobias in the sense that having a special name for it would make it easier to understand or treat.  In that sense they're kind of like those lists of collective nouns or terms of venery that rarely appear anywhere other than the lists themselves.  You might want to contact Dr. van Pelt (given name Lucille) for further information. --Trovatore (talk) 05:50, 27 June 2015 (UTC)
 * Presumably, the "metro" part refers to the patterns of conventional poetry. So, theoretically, one suffering (ha) from metrophobia would be fine reading E.E. Cummings, for example. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 12:13, 27 June 2015 (UTC)
 * Here is a definition . Myrvin (talk) 12:38, 27 June 2015 (UTC)
 * True phobias are fears that interfere significantly with one's life. How severe would a fear of poetry have to be, before it would be a "true" phobia? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 12:43, 27 June 2015 (UTC)
 * Actual medical science doesn't distinguish between the hundreds of pseudo-greek or pseudo-latin phobias you find on lists like this. Instead, they are classified and treated as anxiety disorders or specific phobias.  -- Jayron 32 14:06, 27 June 2015 (UTC)
 * So the broader question is whether it's a "disabling" anxiety disorder? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 15:07, 27 June 2015 (UTC)
 * Well, really anything could be a trigger for an anxiety disorder; I suppose there's a sort of "Rule 34" for phobias. The issue, from a medical point of view, is whether stress is caused by an actual threat, or not.  If a lion is chasing you down, or if your boss, in an angry voice says "I need to see you in my office now", or something like that, it would be normal and healthy to be anxious.  If poetry, or the color blue, or a french accent, or trees, or any other random specific stimulus elicits the "lion is chasing me" stress response, that's generally where the "anxiety disorder" or "specific phobia" diagnosis comes in.  And of course, it's only a problem if it affects your life.  "Clowns make me feel uncomfortable and anxious, but whatever" is one thing "When I see a clown I scream uncontrollably and start to self-harm" is entirely different.  -- Jayron 32 04:48, 28 June 2015 (UTC)
 * Can music, even instrumental music, be part of this "phobia"? It's pretty easy to avoid poetry, but avoiding music would be a challenge. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 19:23, 28 June 2015 (UTC)
 * People with real phobias just stay indoors all the time. They are scared to go out just in case they meet with their phobic object. It can be very debilitating, and not at all funny. Myrvin (talk) 10:35, 29 June 2015 (UTC)
 * Unless they have claustrophobia. 87.81.147.76 (talk) 11:05, 29 June 2015 (UTC)
 * It's the "fight or flight" response.  If your stock exchange investments tank there's nothing you can do about it.   You just get stressed. 87.81.147.76 (talk) 11:08, 29 June 2015 (UTC)