Phobias & Superstitions Quiz

Answer: Arachnophobia. From the Greek ‘arachnē’, spider. In mythology, the weaver Arachne dared to challenge the goddess Athena and was turned into a spider. It is one of the most common phobias, even though very few species are dangerous to humans.

Answer: Hydrophobia. From the Greek ‘hydōr’, water. ‘Hydrophobia’ was once also a name for rabies, because patients, due to throat spasms, could no longer swallow and seemed terrified of water. In chemistry, the word describes what repels water.

Answer: Brings bad luck. Distrust of 13 is often traced to the Last Supper: Jesus and his twelve apostles made thirteen at table, including Judas the traitor. Some buildings and planes have no 13th floor or row 13. The fear even has a name: triskaidekaphobia.

Answer: Throw a pinch of salt over your left shoulder. Salt was once so precious that it was used to pay Roman soldiers, hence the word ‘salary’; spilling it was a bad omen. It is thrown over the left shoulder to blind the devil, supposedly standing there. In Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, Judas has knocked over a salt cellar.

Answer: Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. At 36 letters, it is one of the longest words in the phobia dictionary. Imagine the patient's nightmare when describing their condition.

Answer: The word for 'four' sounds almost like 'death'. This tetraphobia also removes the numbers 4, 14 or 24 from some hospitals and hotels. Some phone makers have even avoided the number 4 in their ranges.

Answer: Macbeth. People say 'the Scottish play' instead. Tradition says anyone who speaks the name must go out, turn round three times and spit before coming back in.

Answer: Because 8 is a lucky number in China. In Chinese, 'eight' sounds like the word suggesting prosperity. Phone numbers or number plates with lots of 8s sell for very high prices.

Answer: Brings bad luck. Walking under a ladder is often considered to bring bad luck in many cultures.

Answer: Black. In the West, black has been the colour of mourning since Roman times, associated with night, death and the devil. This is not universal: in parts of Asia, white is the colour of mourning.

Answer: 7 years of bad luck. Breaking a mirror is associated with 7 years of bad luck in popular superstition.

Answer: Aerophobia. Fear of flying affects a large share of travellers, from mild apprehension to a total refusal to board. It often combines fear of crashing, of being shut in and of losing control. Per kilometre travelled, flying is nevertheless one of the safest means of transport.

Answer: Brings good luck. People touch wood to ward off bad luck, often after boasting about their good fortune. The origin is debated: protective spirits living in trees among the Celts, or the wood of Christ's cross for Christians. Americans say ‘knock on wood’.

Answer: Sorrow. The French saying goes: ‘Spider in the morning, sorrow; spider in the evening, hope.’ One common explanation is that it refers not to the creature but to spinning thread: having to spin from the morning meant you were poor, while spinning in the evening was a pastime.

Answer: Trypophobia. Trypophobia is the unease, often mixed with disgust, triggered by patterns of small, closely packed holes (lotus seed pod, honeycomb, sponge). Not to be confused with trypanophobia, the fear of needles. It is not recognised as a distinct disorder in official medical classifications.

Answer: Green. Legend has it that Molière was dressed in green at his last performance, in 1673. A more prosaic explanation: old green pigments contained toxic arsenic.