Be Very Afraid... Trivia Quiz

Answer: clowns

Why would some people be afraid of the very people who are supposed to bring joy and laughter? That is a question for coulrophobics, i.e., people afraid of clowns. Although this fear is not listed as one of the debilitating phobias in the American Psychiatric Association's "DSM-5", it is still an issue for many. Clowns are generally loud, with exaggerated features, whiteface makeup, red noses and giant shoes.

This can be disconcerting, especially to young children. Billy Bob Thornton and Johnny Depp have both displayed this fear.

Answer: dogs

Under animal phobias, we have cynophobia, a fear of dogs. This fear is present in more people than you would suspect. Generally, the phobic is afraid of large, aggressive dogs but, depending on the person's history, it could be any canine. It is often not just the fear of getting bitten, but even a dog's growl that can send someone running for cover.

While many celebrities admit to weird fears, e.g., raccoons and chickens, I was unable to find any prominent people who admit to this problem.

Answer: snakes

"Why did it have to be snakes?" is a quote from Indiana Jones in the movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark". There is a perception that snakes are slimy and potentially lethal. Actually, only 25% of snake species are venomous. Yes, the fictional character Indiana Jones had ophidiophobia; real life British chef Ainsley Harriott is also ophiodiophobic. According to the website "FearOf.net", this is the second most common fear in the world, affecting almost one third of adults.

This may also associated with fear of reptiles, i.e, herpetophobia, one of Britney Spears fears, which is surprising considering she often uses a snake in her act.

Answer: gum

Let's talk about an extremely uncommon fear, i.e, chiclephobia. Chicle is a sticky, white substance from the sapodilla tree, used in the making of chewing gum. Chiclephobia is an anxiety disorder which can manifest itself in being afraid of actually chewing gum, coming close to a person chewing gum or even the sight of previously chewed gum.

Its onset is often based on a traumatic childhood event. This bizarre fear is part of Oprah Winfrey's life; however, it has not seemed to effect her career or her personal life in any meaningful way.

Answer: needles

Trypanophobia is the irrational fear of needles, pins, injections, drawing blood, etc. Surprisingly, this phobia affects between 3% to 10% of the world's population. While almost no one enjoys being stuck by sharp objects, trypanophobia can be incapacitating, preventing the phobic from getting necessary injections or having blood taken for diagnostic purposes.

This fear may develop during childhood and symptoms include feeling faint, passing out, shortness of breath, increased heart rate and/or a full blown panic attack.

Answer: cats

In ancient Egypt cats were worshipped, with severe penalties for anyone harming a feline. The other side of that is ailurophobia or the extreme and irrational fear of cats. For those who think cats are...well, "the cat's pajamas", it is surprising to learn that those who suffer from the anxiety disorder ailuorophobia can break out in a sweat, have heart palpitations, trouble breathing, dry mouth and an inability to function, which can even demonstrate itself when viewing cats on TV! Some of the most famous leaders in history have been afraid of cats, including Napoleon, Caesar, Mussolini, Hitler, Genghis Khan, and Alexander the Great. If only their enemies had known.

Answer: public speaking

The term glossophobia comes from the Greek, i.e., 'glossa' meaning tongue and 'phobia' meaning fear or dread. Glossophobics possess a fear of public speaking, speaking in general or by having stage fright. Symptoms may present themselves as 'freezing' in front of an audience, dry mouth, shaking, sweating and rapid heartbeat.

It can be incapacitating for a child in the classroom or an employee asked to make a presentation or even in personal relationships. Sufferers include public figures like Richard Branson and Marilyn Monroe.

Answer: being buried alive

Taphophobia is a fear of being buried alive. This is a fear I think most people can relate to. The thought of being pronounced dead incorrectly and winding up in a grave while still alive is horrifying. Edgar Alan Poe wrote several stories related to this fear, e.g., "The Premature Burial", "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Cask of Amontillado".

Other sufferers included George Washington, who had his attendants promise not to bury him for two days, Frederic Chopin and Hans Christian Anderson.

A modern day sufferer of this phobia is director Martin Scorsese; he says he addressed his fear while making the picture "Shutter Island".

Answer: germs

What is one of the fears that links entrepreneur Howard Hughes and comedian Howie Mandel? The answer is the fear of germs and contamination, also known as mysophobia or verminophobia, bacillophobia, etc. The term originated in 1879, when Dr. William Hammond was describing an obsessive-compulsive disorder patient with a compulsion to repeatedly wash his hands (Lady Macbeth?). Howard Hughes used to use tissues to pick things up in order to avoid contamination. Howie Mandel refuses to shake hands with anyone to prevent contact with microbes.

Answer: hospitals

In days of yore, it was often believed that when you went into a hospital for even a minor problem, you never came out, i.e., you died there (sort of like an old-time "roach motel" or the more modern "Hotel California"). Even with all the medical advances, the irrational fear of hospitals still exists and is called nosocomephobia.

The term is derived from the Greek 'nosos' meaning diseases, and the Latin 'comes' meaning consequences or companion. Sadly, with the advent of "super-bugs" and MRSA, this fear has become somewhat less irrational. Richard M. Nixon was one of the foremost sufferers of nosocomephobia.