A morning radio show here in L.A. has a person they talk to occasionally who cannot stand the word moist. She audibly freaks out when she hears the word, it is really torture for her to hear it. Seemed to be an individual with an odd characteristic. So this morning they had her on so they could discuss a recent episode of How I Met Your Mother? wherein the cahracter played Alyson Hannigan similarly cannot hear the word moist with a identical reaction. So they talked to the writer of that episode of the show and she claimed she had no knowledge of the person discussed on the show. her claim was that about half the women in her office cannot stand the word moist and it seemed to be a natural word to use in this case.
My question: Is she right, do a large number of women freak out at the word moist? Does it cause you to grind your teeth and clench your fists?
Well, I’m not a lady - but I had a ladyfriend about 10 years ago who had the same reaction to the word “moist”. Visible recoil, fingers in ears, lalalalalala. I figured it was something funny she picked up somewhere. But that definitely pre-dates the radio show and How I Met Your Mother. (In fact, it was the first time I thought about her in about 10 years - when I saw that episode of HIMYM).
Eh, it’s a little like sandpaper on a nerve, but not freak worthy. I would like to mention, however, that just like the word, “panties” with perfect timing, and in the right context can totally MAKE a joke…So I use it when I think that’s the spice a well delivered one liner will need to kill.
I totally related to Lily on How I Met Your Mother. There is something about that word that conjures up images of dark, hot, sweaty nether-regions of one’s body - and not the good regions. It’s probably related to some deeply repressed memory of hearing that word in a commercial for a feminine product of some kind.
I have definitely heard of this phenomenon before the last few years. Yes, mostly from women. I have heard the somewhat satisfying explanation that the mouth needs to make an uncomfortable set of motions to produce it.
It always strikes me as odd when it turns up in commercials for cake and brownie mixes. I have even heard, in that context, the term “moister”. The sets even my nerves on edge a bit.
I dunno 'bout that. It’s not that far off from, say, “boisterous”, which I’ve never heard of a problem with. Or even “choice”.
But yeah, now that you mention it, “Moist” does kinda squick me out. To me, it’s almost onomatopoetic for the noise a scalpel makes when cutting open a frog, or a hand ripping out pumpkin guts. That squelchy-gooey sound effect from Saturday morning cartoons. “Moist.” shiver
And there’s definitely vaginal connotations involved.
