matriphobia

by Paul Niquette
Copyright ©2006 Paul Niquette, all rights reserved.
 

matriphobia n  Fear of -- what else? -- marriage.

According to popular narrations on stage, screen, and television, the most common affliction of modern males is -- well, the fear of marriage.  Funny, nobody has given it a name.  Until now.

Whereas more than 800 phobias have received scientific identities...

abibliophobia, ablutophobia, acarophobia, acerbophobia, acerophobia, achluophobia, acidophobia, acousticophobia, acrophobia, adrophobia, aelurophobia, aeroacrophobia, aeronausiphobia, aerophobia, afrophobia, agateophobia, agliophobia, agoraphobia, agraphobia, agrizoophobia, agyrophobia, aibohphobia, aichmophobia, aichmorhabdophobia, aichurophobia, ailurophobia, albophobia, albuminuriaphobia, albuminurophobia, alcoholophobia, alektorophobia, aleurophobia, algophobia, alliumphobia, allodoxaphobia, alopeciaphobia, altophobia, alychiphobia, amathophobia, amaxophobia, ambiguphobia, ambulophobia, americanophobia, americophobia, amnesiphobia, amomaxiaphobia, amychophobia, anablepophobia, anachrophobia, anatidaephobia, ancraophobia, androphobia, anemophobia, anginophobia, anglo-phobia, ankylophobia, anoraknophobia, anthrophobia, anthropomorphobia, anthropophobia, antlophobia, anuptaphobia, apeirophobia, aphenphosmphobia, aphephobia, apiophobia, apotemnophobia, aquaphobia, arachibutyrophobia, arachniphobia, arachnobutyrophobia, arachnophobia, archanophobia, archnaphobia, archniphobia, arctophobia, arithmophobia, arrhenophobia, arrhenphobia, arsonphobia, asthenophobia, astraphobia, astraphobia , astrapophobia, astrophobia, asymmetriphobia, ataxiophobia, ataxophobia, atelophobia, atephobia, athazagoraphobia, atheophobia, atomosophobia, atychiphobia, aulophobia, aurophobia, auroraphobia, autobogotiphobia, autodysomophobia, automatonophobia, automysophobia, autophobia, aviatophobia, aviophobia, bacillophobia, bacteriaphobia, bacteriophobia, ballistophobia, barophobia, baryphobia, basiphobia, basistasiphobia, basophobia, bataphobia, bathmophobia, bathophobia, bathysiderodromophobia, batophobia, batrachophobia, bdellophobia, belonephobia, bibliophobia, biphobia, blennophobia, bogyphobia, bolshephobia, botanophobia, bromidrophobia, bromidrosiphobia, brontophobia, bufonophobia, cacohydrophobia, cacophobia, cainophobia, cainotophobia, caligynephobia, calligyniaphobia, cancerophobia, cancerphobia, capophobia, carcinomatophobia, carcinophobia, cardiophobia, carnophobia, catagelophobia, catapedaphobia, cathisophobia, catoptrophobia, caucasophobia, cenophobia, centophobia, ceraunophobia, cerebropathophobia, chaetophobia, cheimaphobia, cheimatophobia, chemophobia, cherophobia, chioniphobia, chionophobia, chiraptophobia, chirophobia, chiroptophobia, chlorophobia, cholerophobia, chorophobia, chrematophobia, christianophobia, christophobia, chromatophobia, chrometophobia, chromophobia, chronomentrophobia, chronophobia, chrysophobia, cibophobia, claustrophobia, cleisiophobia, cleithrophobia, cleptophobia, climacophobia, clinophobia, clithrophobia, cnidosiphobia, cobuyitaphobia, coimetrophobia, coitophobia, colorphobia, cometophobia, computerphobia, coniophobia, contreltophobia, coprastasophobia, coprophobia, coprostasiphobia, coprostasophobia, coulrophobia, counterphobia, cremnophobia, cryophobia, crystallophobia, cyberphobia, cyclophobia, cymophobia, cynophobia, cyprianophobia, cypridophobia, daemonophobia, decidophobia, defecalgesiophobia, deipnosophobia, dementophobia, demonophobia, demophobia, dendrophobia, dentophobia, dermatopathophobia, dermatophobia, dermatosiophobia, dextrophobia, diabetophobia, didaskaleinophobia, dikephobia, dinophobia, diplophobia, dipsomanophobia, dipsophobia, dishabiliophobia, dishabillophobia, divitiphobia, domatophobia, doraphobia, doxophobia, dromophobia, dutchphobia, dysmorphophobia, dystychiphobia, ecclesiophobia, ecophobia, egophobia, eicophobia, eisoptrophobia, electrophobia, eleutherophobia, elurophobia, emetophobia, enetephobia, enetophobia, enissophobia, enochlophobia, enoptrophobia, enosiophobia, entomophobia, eosophobia, ephebophobia, epistaxiophobia, epistemophobia, epistolophobia, equinophobia, eremikophobia, eremitophobia, eremophobia, ereuthophobia, ereuthrophobia, ergasiophobia, ergasophobia, ergophobia, ermitophobia, erotographophobia, erotophobia, erythrophobia, ethnic phobia, ethnophobia, euphobia, europhobia, eurotophobia, evisceraphobia, febriphobia, fecophobia, felinophobia, fibriophobia, financial phobia, francophobia, friendorphobia, friggatriskaidekaphobia, frigophobia, fyophobia, galeophobia, galiophobia, gallophobia, gametophobia, gamophobia, gatophobia, geliophobia, gelophobia, geniophobia, genophobia, genuphobia, gephyrophobia, gephysrophobia, gerascophobia, gerasophobia, germanophobia, gerontophobia, geumaphobia, geumatophobia, geumophobia, gigaphobia, glossophobia, gnosiophobia, grammatophobia, graphophobia, gymnophobia, gynaephobia, gynephobia, gynobibliophobia, hadephobia, haematophobia, haemophobia, hagiophobia, hamartophobia, hamaxophobia, haphephobia, haptephobia, haptophobia, harmatophobia, harpaxophobia, hebephobia, hedonophobia, heliophobia, hellenologophobia, helminthophobia, helminthphobia, hemaphobia, hematophobia, hemophobia, hereiophobia, heresyphobia, herpetophobia, heteroerotophobia, heterophobia, hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia, hierophobia, hippophobia, hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, hispanophobia, hobophobia, hodophobia, hogophobia, homichlophobia, homilophobia, hominophobia, homoerotophobia, homophobia, homophonophobia, hoplophobia, hormephobia, hyalophobia, hydragyophobia, hydrargyophobia, hydrophobia, hydrophobophobia, hyetophobia, hygrophobia, hylephobia, hylophobia, hypegiaphobia, hypengyophobia, hypnophobia, hypophobia, hypselotimophobia, hypsophobia, iatrophobia, ichthyophobia, iconophobia, icthyophobia, ideophobia, illyngophobia, insectophobia, iophobia, iraqnophobia, islamophobia, isolophobia, isopterophobia, italophobia, ithyphallophobia, japanophobia, judaeophobia, judeophobia, judophobia, kainophobia, kainotophobia, kakidrosiphobia, kakorraphiaphobia, kakorrhaphiophobia, katagelophobia, kathisophobia, kenophobia, keraunophobia, keraunothnetophobia, kinetophobia, kleptophobia, koimetrophobia, koinoniphobia, kolpophobia, koniophobia, koniphobia, kopophobia, koreaphobia, kosmikophobia, koumpounophobia, kynophobia, kyphophobia, lachanophobia, laliophobia, lallophobia, lalophobia, lepidophobia, lepraphobia, leprophobia, leukophobia, levophobia, ligyrophobia, lilapsophobia, limnophobia, linonophobia, liticaphobia, litigaphobia, lockiophobia, logizomechanophobia, logophobia, luiphobia, lusophobia, lutraphobia, lygophobia, lysistrataphobia, lyssophobia, machiaphobia, macrophobia, macroxenoglossophobia, mageiricophobia, mageirocophobia, maieusiophobia, maieuticophobia, malaxophobia, maledictaphobia, maniaphobia, mastigophobia, maurophobia, mechanophobia, medomalacuphobia, medorthophobia, megalophobia, melanophobia, melissophobia, melophobia, meningitophobia, menophobia, merinthophobia, metallophobia, metathesiophobia, meteorophobia, methyphobia, metrophobia, microbiophobia, microphobia, misophobia, mnemophobia, molysmophobia, molysomophobia, monopathophobia, monophobia, motorphobia, mottephobia, muriphobia, musicophobia, musophobia, mycophobia, myctophobia, myophobia, myrmecophobia, mysophobia, mythophobia, myxophobia, nebulaphobia, necrophobia, necropoliphobia, needle phobia, negrophobia, nelophobia, neologiphobia, neopharmaphobia, neophobia, nephelophobia, nephophobia, noctiphobia, nomatophobia, nosemaphobia, nosocomephobia, nosomaniaphobia, nosophobia, nostophobia, novercaphobia, nucleomitophobia, nucleomituphobia, nudophobia, numerophobia, nyctohylophobia, nyctophobia, obesophobia, ochlophobia, ochophobia, octophobia, odontophobia, odynephobia, odynophobia, oenophobia, oikophobia, oinophobia, olfactophobia, olfactphobia, ombrophobia, ommatophobia, ommetaphobia, omphalophobia, onamatophobia, oneirogmophobia, oneirophobia, onomatophobia, ophidiophobia, ophiophobia, ophthalmophobia, opiophobia, opsimathiphobia, optophobia, ornithophobia, ornithoscelidaphobia, orthophobia, orthpolitiphobia, oryctolagusphobia, osculaphobia, osmidrosiphobia, osmophobia, osphresiophobia, ostraconophobia, ostreophobia, ouranophobia, paediphobia, paedophobia, pagophobia, pamphobia, panophobia, panphobia, pantaphobia, panthophobia, pantophobia, papaphobia, papyrophobia, paralipophobia, paraphobia, parasitophobia, paraskevatriskaidekaphobia, parthenophobia, parthophobia, parturiphobia, pathenophobia, pathophobia, patroiophobia, paxophobia, peccatiphobia, peccatophobia, pediatricophobia, pediculophobia, pediophobia, pedophobia, peladophobia, pellagrophobia, penetration phobia, peniaphobia, penphobia, pentheraphobia, peristerophobia, phagophobia, phalacrophobia, phallophobia, phantasmophobia, pharmacophobia, phasmophobia, phengophobia, phigerophobia, philemaphobia, philematophobia, philophobia, philosophobia, phobologophobia, phobophobia, phonophobia, photaugiaphobia, photoaugiaphobia, photoaugliaphobia, photophobia, phronemophobia, phthiriophobia, phthisiophobia, phyllophobia, pinaciphobia, placophobia, plutophobia, pluviophobia, pneumatiphobia, pneumatophobia, pnigerophobia, pnigophobia, pocrescophobia, pognophobia, pogonophobia, poinephobia, poliosophobia, politicophobia, polonophobia, polyphobia, ponophobia, porphyrophobia, potamophobia, potophobia, procrescophobia, proctophobia, propinquiphobia, prosophobia, psellismophobia, pseudomicrosoftophobia, psychophobia, psychrophobia, pteridophobia, pteromerhanophobia, pteronophobia, pyrexiophobia, pyrophobia, quippedaliophobia, radiophobia, ranidaphobia, rectiphobia, rectophobia, regiphobia, rhabdophobia, rhodophobia, rhypophobia, rhytiphobia, robophobia, romanophobia, rube-aphobia, rupophobia, rusophobia, russophobia, samhainophobia, sarmassophobia, satanophobia, scabiophobia, scatophobia, scelerophobia, school phobia, sciaphobia, sciophobia, scoleciphobia, scolionophobia, scoptophobia, scotomaphobia, scotophobia, scriptophobia, selachophobia, selacophobia, selaphobia, selenophobia, seplophobia, septophobia, serbophobia, sesquippedaliophobia, sexophobia, siderodromophobia, siderophobia, simphobia, simple phobia, sinistrophobia, sinophobia, sitiophobia, sitophobia, skiaphobia, slavophobia, snakephobia, soceraphobia, social phobia, sociophobia, somniphobia, sophophobia, spacephobia, specific phobia, spectocloacaphobia, spectrophobia, spermatophobia, spermophobia, spheksophobia, spider phobia, srbophobia, stage phobia, stasibasiphobia, stasophobia, staurophobia, stenophobia, stigiophobia, stygiophobia, suriphobia, swinophobia, symbolophobia, symmetrophobia, syngenesophobia, syphilophobia, tachophobia, taeniophobia, taphephobia, taphophobia, tapinophobia, taurophobia, technophobia, teleophobia, telephonophobia, teniophobia, teratophobia, teratrophobia, terdekaphobia, testophobia, tetanophobia, tetraphobia, teutophobia, textophobia, thaasophobia, thalassaphobia, thalassophobia, thanatophobia, thantophobia, thassophobia, theatrophobia, theologicophobia, theophobia, thermophobia, thixophobia, tocophobia, tomophobia, tonitrophobia, tonitruphobia, topophobia, toxicophobia, toxiphobia, transphobia, traumatophobia, tremophobia, trichinophobia, trichopathophobia, trichophobia, tridecaphobia, triskadekaphobia, triskaidekaphobia, tropophobia, trypanophobia, tuberculophobia, turistaphobia, tyrannophobia, uranophobia, uredophobia, urophobia, urticariaphobia, vaccinophobia, venereophobia, venustraphobia, verbophobia, verminophobia, vermiphobia, vestiphobia, viciniphobia, virginitiphobia, virgivitiphobia, vitricophobia, walloonphobia, westophobia, xanthaphobia, xanthophobia, xeniatrophobia, xenodochiophobia, xenoglossophobia, xenonosocomiophobia, xenophobia, xerophobia, xylophobia, xyrophobia, zelophobia, zelotypophobia, zemmiphobia, zeusophobia, and zoophobia
...no appropriate moniker can be found in more than 50 dictionaries.

That's fine with me.  I have no use for it, as will be obvious to anyone familiar with my matrimoniacal record.
 

101 Words
Table of Contents
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Epilog.

As observed in The Moon Illusion, one key for biological success is “to conserve energy.”  Now, conservation of other resources can likewise have fitness value...

  • The snake’s rattle wards off creatures too big to swallow thereby conserving fang poison.
  • The male canine’s preference for vertical features (trees, fireplugs) for marking territories to conserve urine (co-evolved with the female’s scent-reading practices).
  • The human male’s matriphobia, typically concealed in the cynical metaphor, “Why buy the cow when the milk is free?”