Ten Unusual Phobias Trivia Quiz

Answer: Crossing the street

Agyrophobia is the belief that crossing a street will harm you in some way. This crippling phobia can so disable an individual that they will avoid any public places so set out, will avoid going to work, shopping, or any place at all that entails having to cross a road or street.

Answer: Fear of going insane

Also related to maniaphobia and dementophobia, agateophobia is the fear of going insane, or of being around people with that sorrowful condition. In Act one, scene five of Shakespeare's "King Lear", we have that old, worn out king who walks away from his duties as ruler, utter the heartbreaking lines:

"O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven
Keep me in temper: I would not be mad!"

Answer: Remaining single

In times gone by, many women, denied the satisfaction of earning their own money, had no choice but to marry or starve. If the fear of remaining single grew too much to bear, it was known as anuptaphobia. Sometimes though the cure was worse than the disease.

It could of course also effect males, but one imagines that would be rather rare. Anuptaphobia's opposite fear is gamophobia, which is the fear of marriage.

Answer: Fear of infinity

Also connected negatively to thanatophobia (the fear of dying), apeirophobia is the fear of infinity or eternity, of just going on and on and on without end. Think though of the knowledge that could be amassed, the universes that could be explored, the joy of being alive for ever and ever - oh, sorry. Phobias are definitely no laughing matter.

Answer: Fear of bees

This is one phobia that could be fairly safe to guess the answer going by its prefix, as in apiary etc. The fear of bees, or at least of being stung by one, is a rather common-sense one to a degree, but for those who suffer from apiphobia - also known as melissaphobia - the sight of those beautiful little buzzing creatures going about their daily business of gathering nectar does nothing but fill them with terror.

Answer: Fear of men

Also known as androphobia, arrhenphobia is a very real fear of men, either generally or in particular. This phobia, like all phobias, can send its sufferers into massive panic attacks whenever near one of those creatures who make up fifty per cent of the world's population.

Answer: Disorder and untidiness

I think I suffer from this phobia. I first noticed its onset, doctor, when my children became teenagers and I needed a machete to get into their rooms. Like all phobias, however, this is no laughing matter and an untidy mess can cause great mental anguish for those who suffer from it. They simply cannot function properly when surrounded by a mess.

Answer: Failure

This phobia must be a terrible one to have to endure in our world of ever increasing pressures to achieve success in any field. Like all phobias, its sufferers, with the aid of behaviour or cognitive therapy, can be taught, if not to overcome the disorder, than to keep it within manageable boundaries.

Answer: Fear of flutes

This deep rooted fear of flutes can cause great mental distress in a surprising number of people. It's intriguing why flutes have been singled out in such a way, and not other musical instruments - although there's probably a phobia for each one of them as well. Psychologists say this phobia can be dealt with to a manageable degree in a quite reasonable amount of time.

Answer: Ventriloquist dummies

Not only do those with automatonophobia fear ventriloquist dummies, they can also suffer panic and anxiety attacks from statues or any other man made object that is meant to represent a thinking, feeling, speaking human or other being. They freak them out terribly. Really, when one considers it objectively, a ventriloquist dummy IS rather alarming. That mouth for a start - and those staring, staring eyes. Frightening!