I'm looking for a word

[Mirannan]

I need a word, which I think exists. It describes a word which is nonsense because it describes something that cannot exist because it's nonsense. "Oxymoron" is close, but not right because it implies a contradiction; "dry water", for example.

The sort of thing that I'm specifically thinking of is something with "phobia" at the end which is nonsense because the object of the phobia really is dangerous. Maybe "vacuphobia" for someone living on a space station, for example.

Can anyone help?

 

[Phyrebrat]

I often get tautology and oxymoron mixed up, if that, er, helps...

pH

 

[Mouse]

Monokerophobia?

 

[CTRandall]

In rhetoric, "synoeciosis" is the combination of opposites, as in "parting is such sweet sorrow". This was hugely popular in Renaissance Italian madrigals, with things like "burning ice" used all of the time.

Also an "alogism" is an illogical argument.

 

[The Judge]

I can't think of a word that means what you're after -- I can't even think of a situation where such a word would apply -- but I'll have a look around to see if I can come up with something.

In the meantime:

I often get tautology and oxymoron mixed up, if that, er, helps...

Tautology is needless repetition in slightly different words so "his leonine, lion-like head" is tautologous. Tautology sounds repetitious to me with the tau-to sounds, which is how I remember it. An oxymoron is a contradiction in terms, such as "angel fiend" or my favourite "military intelligence" -- moron summing up the idea of something silly.

 

[Paul Meccano]

The Phobia List

every phobia listed here as testified by the person who started the site in the late 1980's

 

[sknox]

Tautologous! I love that word and will use it today in a sentence. "Your argument is redundant and repeats itself," he argued logically.

Whereas oxymoron sounds like an additive to a laundry detergent.

I don't think the word Mirannen wants actually exists because a good many phobias reference things that are or can be dangerous. Arachnophobia, for example. It's perfectly sensible to fear something that is dangerous.

 

[Parson]

Parson takes a shot: vacuous? It's usual implication is that something that is supposed to be there isn't. Like: "That's a vacuous argument."

 

[Ihe]

Wait, so are you looking for a synonym of "nonsense" or for a silly phobia that is more common sense than phobia?

 

[WarriorMouse]

How about ...
Unicornaphobia

 

[paranoid marvin]

Nonsensical?

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Preposterous? (Contrary to reason, logic, or common sense.)

 

[Mouse]

How about ...
Unicornaphobia

That's what I said, I guess nobody googled it!

 

[WarriorMouse]

That's what I said, I guess nobody googled it!

Please forgive this unworthy one
*quietly tip toes out of the presence of the wise one*

 

[tinkerdan]

Fear can be good. If something is dangerous and you fear it or fear doing something because of the danger involved that would be common sense.

However; looking up the word fear yields phobia as one of the definitions of fear.

Many of us remember that great speech that included 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself'. Thus setting the stage for Fearophobia.

I do like panophobia--the fear of everything.(This is why I couldn't watch the movie about Stephen Hawking.)

It has been said that danger is real but fear is not real. Then we should fear nothing.
So perhaps one could have irrational fear of having irrational fear and that might be phobophobia.(Same as Fearophobia but more intense.)

But the real question is could we have an irrational fear of a fearing nothing?

Maybe that would be Nullophobia.

My computer suffers that and often freezes from it.

 

[Parson]

That's what I said, I guess nobody googled it!

Oh contrare, I did Google it. Being a word I'd never heard of.

 

[Paul Meccano]

me·shu·gas (me′s̸ho̵o gäs′)
noun
craziness; foolishness; nonsense
Etymology: Yiddish

example:
What is this meshugas you’re spouting?

 

[tinkerdan]

I think for what you want::

The sort of thing that I'm specifically thinking of is something with "phobia" at the end which is nonsense because the object of the phobia really is dangerous. Maybe "vacuphobia" for someone living on a space station, for example.

Phobia is still the best when considering phobia's as unreasonable or irrational fear; although fear of vacuum is probably a healthy fear.

Claustrophobia on a space station would be counter productive though it might exist and the person might have to be watched carefully as they likely will want to walk out a hatch as it overrides their Vacuophobia and they won't wear a suit because...well...claustrophobia.

Danger is real so fear of danger will exist no matter how unreasonable it might sound to someone.

Some people walk tightrope from up high and should be afraid but are not. So fear of heights would seem nonexistent to them especially when there is no imminent danger such as when standing on a secure platform up high and even while climbing a ladder. However for those with a phobia it doesn't matter how safe you have made things because the danger is real and so their fear feels justified.

On a station you can be protected from the vacuum, but the danger is still there and it's real and so there can be those who don't fear and there can be those who do fear possibly based on their level of confidence in the protection. It's still a phobia as long as the protections are in place.

 

[Ursa major]

Would it be possible to have a bit more context? For example, does someone use this word in a conversation (as, say, a way of winning an argument)?

I only ask because, unless you're working to a very tight word budget, why not (using the example you've given) write, or have the character say:

It isn't a phobia if the threat is real.

You may even have to write this anyway, if you suspect many readers have never encountered the word for which you're looking.

 

[tinkerdan]

It isn't a phobia if the threat is real. Is similar to that saying that it isn't paranoia if the threat is real.

However the word vacuphobia might be a Caconym because it puts two words together to come up with something that might be considered not correct in its meaning.