Did you
know?

iatrophobia

- an abnormal or irrational fear of doctors or going to the doctor

- intense fear of doctors

Your Dictionary / Merriam-Webster

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WORD ORIGIN

"iatro" is derived from Greek iātrós (ἰατρός) meaning "physician, healer" and “phobia” phobos meaning "fear, panic, terror."

The psychological sense of “an abnormal or irrational fear” is attested by 1850.

Phobos, the inner satellite of Mars, was discovered and named in 1877. In Greek mythology, Phobos, a companion of Ares (god of war), was the personification of fear.

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HUMOUR IS THE BEST MEDICINE

So-called “Doctor-Doctor jokes” are a variant of English humour involving wordplay, usually by a cheeky doctor:

Patient: “Doctor, Doctor, I think I’m turning into a frog!”
Doctor: “Can you hop to the examination room and we’ll take a look?”

P: “Doctor, Doctor, I keep thinking I’m invisible!”
D: “Well, I can’t see you right now, so you must be right!”

P: “Doctor, doctor, I think I’m a deck of cards!”
D: “Take a seat and I’ll deal with you in a minute.”

P: “Doctor, doctor, I think I’m a pair of curtains!”
D: “For God's sake man, pull yourself together!”

P: “Doctor, doctor, I think I’m a bell!”
D: “Take these pills and if they don’t work, give me a ring.”

P: “Doctor, doctor, I think I’m a bee!”
D: “Buzz off and come back when you’re feeling better.”

P: “Doctor, doctor, I think I’m a cat!”
D: “How long has this been going on?”
P: “Ever since I was a kitten!”

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“A healthy sense of humour can be a wonderful antidote to IATROPHOBIA.”

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HERZLICHEN DANK to all readers helping me keep OWAD alive with single or monthly donations at:

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and,

Paul Smith, IBAN: DE75 7316 0000 0002 5477 40